The Shampoo Bar Thread

[Natural_Locks24]

I'm really enjoying CV's henna bars right now. They make my hair feel so silky!

[Tori Angeli]

Okay, my hair is drying from my first wash with the Extra Honey Beer CV bar and while it is very soft (and much, much lighter than co-washing makes it), it is definitely getting frizzier and frizzier as it dries. I'm not sure if this is something that would get better in the next week as I continue with the bar or so or if it's the honey making my hair frizz. Of course it could be something else entirely, like the humidity, which I haven't noticed because I have had my hair up for the last 18 days.

[Komao]

Thank you for starting this thread. I have never used a shampoo bar so I guess I'm in for a treat!
I just started reading about them so I need to do a little more research. It looks like I'm at the right place for that:o

[Tori Angeli]

This morning, my scalp is extremely dry, itchy, and tight, but my hair is very soft and feels so much lighter than it has in a long time. It's more manageable, but not holding its natural wave as well. Of course, this is only after one use. The only thing driving me really nuts is the itchy scalp. I will try using conditioner this next wash, and perhaps massage my scalp a little less.

I ordered three more samples, too: olive and babassu, babassu marshmallow, and lavender/rosemary.

Update: Washed again today. Honey/beer bar made my hair frizz and took out the wave so much I re-washed with a soap bar I also got from CV (shea rose clay) and conditioned again. Less frizz, wave is back, shine has gone down (as a result of frizz?), scalp less itchy and I shed way, way, way less than with CO. I am seriously shocked by how much less I am shedding.

Update to the update: Added a little argan oil and the shine is back. There's still some frizz, but that's normal. My hair looks so good I'm busting my "wear hair up for X amount of time" challenge just so I can enjoy it a bit.

[Tori Angeli]

Okay, CV's Scarborough Fair soap bar makes my scalp feel lovely. With the rosemary in it, it shouldn't be a wonder, I suppose! And my hair seems to be nice and soft and light, so this might be a track for me to stick on for a while. Today I began with conditioner, then lathered up twice and rinsed with a white vinegar/green tea mix twice.

[battles]

Finally got really, really terrible waxies today. :eek: Guess I won't be using that bar again.

[Natural_Locks24]

Fresh as a daisy soap on etsy has some very nice shampoo bars! Her bars are very moisturizing and leave my hair very smooth and shiny

[gypsyeyes]

I've had a really rough first time using shampoo bars and I'm looking for any insight as to why. I ordered the herb garden from CV and was so excited about it. So last night, I put coconut oil in my hair for about an hour. I lathered with the shampoo bar really well and applied to my scalp, and let it run down the length (which isn't much, my hair is just below shoulders).. My hair felt grippy and strange (which I expected) so I used 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar to 1 cup of water as a rinse. Still felt weird so I conditioned my hair and washed it out. Still weird. Rinsed again with WV/water. I decided to leave it alone and go to sleep. Well I woke up with the greasiest hair :( Now I have conditioner sitting in my hair for 15 + minutes hoping this will fix it. Does anyone have any ideas what may have went wrong? I really want to use the herb garden as I like the idea of new hair growth.. Thanks for any help!

[gypsyeyes]

Oh and I should also add that I've had way more shedding today than usual. :/

[Tori Angeli]

I wouldn't say it's the fault of the poo bar, necessarily. Even when I use a vinegar rinse, my hair feels "weird" for a while after the shower and smooths out if I leave it alone. Most likely the oiliness is because it didn't quite wash the oil out. Next time you do a heavy oiling, try conditioning first before lathering up with the bar. Conditioner is great at removing oil.

[gypsyeyes]

I wouldn't say it's the fault of the poo bar, necessarily. Even when I use a vinegar rinse, my hair feels "weird" for a while after the shower and smooths out if I leave it alone. Most likely the oiliness is because it didn't quite wash the oil out. Next time you do a heavy oiling, try conditioning first before lathering up with the bar. Conditioner is great at removing oil.

Thank you very much! I think next time I use the shampoo bar, I'll skip oiling altogether and see how it works out.

[sisi33]

I'm debating ordering more sample bars from CV in the near future (when I'm done with all my other hair washing products), since none of you will give me your rejected bars, :p but I have no idea how to narrow it down. Maybe a random generator? Decisions, decisions.

[Tori Angeli]

My new sample bars came in. Thing is, the Scarborough Fair soap bar is working so nicely I might just stash them for a while instead of trying them out right away.

[Crumpet]

Just ordered some shampoo bars from CV today (sample sizes) since I was ordering some of their facial bars. I'm eager to try them. I don't fancy rubbing the bar on my head, but imagine I'll lather it up and then apply. I plan to still use conditioner. Does this sound like an okay way forward? I've never used shampoo bars before so I'm a complete novice!

[Tori Angeli]

Question!

I tried the Marshallow Root and Babassu bar. Hair was instantly very silky, and the bar felt creamy and lovely. But as my hair dries, it's drying VERY frizzy. Is it possible, since I live in a high-humidity climate, that I should avoid humectants like the plague? Honey does this as well, as does aloe to a lesser extent, and marshmallow root is apparently a humectant. Emollients work much better on my hair and there may be a reason for that.

[Tori Angeli]

After some consideration and discussion, I think my problems were coming from not conditioning properly. I'm going to give the Babassu Marsh Mallow bar another try tonight and condition really well after and see if that helps.

[Perididdle]

I've been having trouble with my hair feeling gummy/waxy/heavy lately. I am getting worried that maybe shampoo bars aren't good long-term for me? How often do you guys clarify with a non-shampoo bar?

Went ahead and tried lathering up twice and using a very slightly heavier concentration of vinegar in my rinse. We'll see if that helps!

[Flor]

I've been having trouble with my hair feeling gummy/waxy/heavy lately. I am getting worried that maybe shampoo bars aren't good long-term for me? How often do you guys clarify with a non-shampoo bar?

Went ahead and tried lathering up twice and using a very slightly heavier concentration of vinegar in my rinse. We'll see if that helps!

I don't clarify at all. I usually have at least 2 shampoo bars in rotation though, one more conditioning and another more cleansing, so I guess that takes care of possible build-up?

Also, I find this routine to produce best result: wet hair, rub the bar on the hair a bit, wet hair quickly again, rub some more bar, wet a bit again and then lather-lather-lather. I find it that shampoo bars if not "soaped up" enough, tend to stick to hair more instead of washing off.

[Theobroma]

I don't clarify either. I've been washing with African Black Soap for over a year now with no need to use anything else in between. The soap even takes care of any potential buildup from my AVG.

[Perididdle]

Interesting! I'm still wrestling with it a bit. It isn't bad after a day or two, but the drying process and the first day leaves my hair feeling kind of residuey and weird. Almost stiff? It's particularly bad on my length -- the scalp hair is doing okay. I used Flor's method and it made my scalp almost perfect, though my hair loses lift in general on these bars, I think.

My ends are also rather dry. Hrrrm. I might try CWC (well, CW, when I tried conditioning after washing/vinegar my hair was quite sticky) and avoid getting any soap on my length to begin with.

Gonna do another run with this chamomile and citrus bar, and then maybe try Henna Chestnut -- seems like it's considered fairly cleansing?

[battles]

Got grumpy with my hair and used store shampoo and conditioner twice in a row. Sticky, gross feeling hair that got greasy within two days.

I promise I'll never leave you again, shampoo bars. :smooch:

[Tori Angeli]

I have found I love the olive and babassu bar from CV so far. Shiny softness without frizzies!

[Chromis]

Got grumpy with my hair and used store shampoo and conditioner twice in a row. Sticky, gross feeling hair that got greasy within two days.

I promise I'll never leave you again, shampoo bars. :smooch:

I tried that too, only I waited until I finished the bottle to see if it would get better. It did not. Went back to my beloved shampoo bars and voila, happy hair!

[KittyBird]

I got my first shampoo bar from Sweet Creek Herbs (etsy) a few days ago, and I finally got to try it today. I got one full bar of Orange Beer 'n Honey, as most samples (except for CV's) are way to small. The bar is nice and big, smells alright, and most importantly, it cleans incredibly well. I hadn't washed my hair for a week (I've been very very busy!), it was full of oil, and my scalp was itchy and gunky. I lathered up twice on my scalp and once on the length, and my hair got squeaky clean! It's soft and shiny, and my waves look really nice too, despite having to go out while it was still down and wet.

I've been experimenting with my vinegar rinse too. I used to use white vinegar and cold water, but now I use 1.2 litres (I have a lot of hair :o) of nettle tea with three tbs of white vinegar. I use one bag of nettle tea and steep it for about 30 minutes in a covered kettle. I add the vinegar, pour the mixture into two bottles, and let the bottles lie in cold water until the rinse is cold. I think this mixture works much better than the pure vinegar rinses and the acv rinses I've used before.

I finish with a lot of leave-in conditioner, though now I have switched to a regular conditioner. Wella Repair Conditioner or something like that. It actually works better than the leave-in I usually use :cool:

[Natural_Locks24]

I've tried so many different washing methods and always seem to come back to my shampoo bars! I've also found the perfect rinse for after the bars. I use a couple squirts of lime juice and a squirt of conditioner in about 2 cups of water.

[Neecola]

I've had to take a temporary hiatus from using shampoo bars. (My hair is not dealing well with the water change) But I continue to use them for shaving. Has anyone else noticed that their razors last longer using true soap vs. shaving gel? I can't believe how much longer my razors stay sharp for!

Last night I worked outside and got quite dirty. Usually I use oil to remove makeup and water only or sometimes honey to wash my face but I knew I'd need something else. So I used some of my soap to wash my face in the shower and was shocked how gentle it was. I expected my face to feel tight, but not at all! i've used "gentle" pH balanced face washes that left my face feeling much more stripped.

I'm so glad this thread has stayed active through the years as I probably wouldn't have tried soap (always believing it to be harsh and damaging) without everyone's contributions! :flower:

[Tori Angeli]

Neecola, I've loved using soaps on my super-sensitive, dry, acne-prone skin for some time now. Sulfates drive my skin crazy. But I never knew till I came here that they were good to use on hair!

[Mayihuan]

I've been using shampoo bars (mainly mehandi or henna sooq) for over a year now, and I'm very pleased with the results. Before that, I used whatever commercial shampoo smelled nice and seemed natural (though ingredients always featured SLS), and felt I had to wash hair every other day to keep it pleasant-looking.
It feels like shampoo bars (probably also due to non-SLS) have revived my hair. Though it's still on the fine and thin side, it seems healthier and more "alive"... I can actually get some sort of volume into it... for about half a day anyways. :p

My husband isn't really on board though. His hair, though shorter, is thicker and coarser than mine. I've selected bars that I felt were adapted to his hairtype, but he told me recently that he didn't feel his hair came clean after washing, and I've noticed he reverted to a leftover bottle of shampoo (SLS...) after about 2-3 months trying shampoo bars...
The process he goes through is, rubbing the shampoo bar onto hands, rubbing hands into hair, scrub, rinse, the end. This works for me, but maybe since his hair is thicker, he needs more shampoo to cleanse it? :confused:

[Neecola]

Mayihuan, some people have better results with a second lather. If he is willing to give it another go, maybe that would help?

[Natural_Locks24]

I've had to take a temporary hiatus from using shampoo bars. (My hair is not dealing well with the water change) But I continue to use them for shaving. Has anyone else noticed that their razors last longer using true soap vs. shaving gel? I can't believe how much longer my razors stay sharp for!

Last night I worked outside and got quite dirty. Usually I use oil to remove makeup and water only or sometimes honey to wash my face but I knew I'd need something else. So I used some of my soap to wash my face in the shower and was shocked how gentle it was. I expected my face to feel tight, but not at all! i've used "gentle" pH balanced face washes that left my face feeling much more stripped.

I'm so glad this thread has stayed active through the years as I probably wouldn't have tried soap (always believing it to be harsh and damaging) without everyone's contributions! :flower: I've noticed that too!! I seriously hardly ever have to buy new razors. One razor can last me 2 months or more! And I shave everyday

[Crumpet]

How long did you all take to transition well into shampoo bars? I have three sample bars from CV, which I'm going to start using soon. I started a new job so I was a bit worried about trying them and having funky hair when I'm meeting new people...how bad is the transition? (Note: I wear updos to work, so my hair doesn't have to be perfect!).

[Chromis]

I didn't have a transition at all. I switched and my hair was much easier to deal with. Other people do, although it is more likely to have problems wearing it down than up anyhow. If you don't have the acid rinse right (or you try skipping it!) than your hair might behave differently, but it should still look fine up. Some people manage to skip doing a rinse though too, so it really is wildly different for everyone and likely depends a lot on your water.

[cooklaezo13]

I finished up my CV samples, and ordered full size bars. It was hard to choose just one, so I went with ayurvedic bar for when I need a stronger wash, and the butter bar with for a gentle bar. I can't wait until they arrive! I switched back to shampoo when I finished my last sample, and it made me realize that my hair is much better with shampoo bars. Who knew?!

[Tori Angeli]

Whose hair smells like cloves? My hair smells like cloves.

Love the Cafe Moreno bar from CV. Between that and the olive babassu bar, I think I have two bars that really work for me.

Also, I am completely in love with their shea rose clay soap. My dry skin has never felt so lovely without constant moisturizing.

[Fealesidhe]

So, I've been steadily reading through this thread over the past few weeks, and having been growing more and more impatient to try out some 'poo bars. I decided to try CV bars first, and was finally able to place an order just this past week. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when I came home from work today to find a fragrant package in my mailbox. :D

I ordered samples of the Chamomile & Citrus, Ayurvedic Herb, and Café Moreno 'poo bars, and of the Honey Butter, Shea Rose Clay, and Nettle & Tea Tree soaps. The Café Moreno and the Nettle & Tea Tree I actually got to split up and give to friends.

Now I just have to decide what to try first! I can't wait :D

[Chromis]

I love the Cafe Morano and the nettle bar. My other favourite CV bar is the marshmallow. Sadly my fave didn't like the shea rose clay although it felt lovely in hand.

Also, props to Fealesidhe! Reading the entire thread gets you membership into an exclusive club full of tea and cookies and all your favourite treats, welcome! :D

[Tori Angeli]

The marshmallow babassu bar makes my hair crazy-fluffy-frizzy, but other than that, I love it. The olive babassu bar seems to do the same shinysoftmaking without poofing it and making it lose wave, but the moreno bar seems to work extremely well with my waves. It's been work to find a particular bar that will work with my texture, so I'm glad I found this one!

[Fealesidhe]

:pray:Well, I just tried the Chamomile & Citrus and Honey Butter last night, I'll have to see how it goes over the next few weeks but I am tentatively optimistic. The top part of my hair is quite soft so I think my natural hair will love these bars. Currently my hair isn't in the best of condition having been (from the bottom up): hennaed, bleached, dyed, hennaed, bleached, and dyed. :pray: All I want now is to grow it out natural and healthy.

I'm afraid I haven't quite earned that praise, although I certainly plan to. :D Between school and work I've not been able to read through the entire thread yet. I am going to, it's just going to take a little while. I look forward to that promised tea and cookies!

One thing I noticed is that using a vinegar rinse makes my hair incredibly squeaky, far more than the 'poo bar alone. Perhaps this means I don't need one? I shall have to experiment, I know I'm not the only one who has had this happen.

[Chromis]

We'll make sure there is a fresh batch waiting ;)

You might also just need to adjust your ratios. Squeaky for me usually means I didn't use enough and too much makes my hair lank. Our water is so hard that too much is rarely an issue, but I did manage it the other day when I ran out of even white vinegar (I normally use ACV from the farmer's market but the apple vendors aren't there mid summer and I forgot to get an extra bottle in time!) and had to use only citric acid.

[Fealesidhe]

Alright, I'll try increasing the amount of vinegar when I wash my hair next and get back with the results. I'm pretty sure we have at least moderately hard water from our well, which would definitely affect how much acidity is needed.

[morrigan*]

I bought my first soap bar for hair last week at farmers fair, I used it twice and until now i like it. I will see how it goes. My hair is incredibly soft, silky and shiny. Also it doesn't tangle at all. I need to try different ratios of ACV and if using bar directly on hair makes any difference.

[Natural_Locks24]

Got a new poo bar from a craft fair this weekend! I love it so far, my hair feels so soft and thick. Here's the company http://www.felicitybathsoaps.com/shampoo-bars-3 I got her last bar of Ayurvedic :) it's one of the best shampoo bars I've used.

[Crumpet]

How long have you all used shampoo bars? I've read a good portion of this thread (first 160 pages!) over about a week and it was hard to follow how many people seem to stick with it. Some people seem to just drop off of this thread (or the LHC) so I couldn't tell if they stopped using shampoo bars or what happened.

I'm just curious about the long-term impact of shampoo bars...thoughts?

[Chromis]

How long have you all used shampoo bars? I've read a good portion of this thread (first 160 pages!) over about a week and it was hard to follow how many people seem to stick with it. Some people seem to just drop off of this thread (or the LHC) so I couldn't tell if they stopped using shampoo bars or what happened.

I'm just curious about the long-term impact of shampoo bars...thoughts?

I think I started in 2007? This thread started in 2008 anyhow and I was already using them then! My hair was about tailbone back then so you can see it certainly hasn't bad for growth :lol: My hair is also much smoother, shinier, and generally better all around using shampoo bars.

[morrigan*]

I washed my hair again today, and lathering twice yield better results, not so weight down and more wavy. Next time i will try it with a bit stronger acv rinse.

[kdaniels8811]

I make shampoo bars and have been reading the seaweed thread which says the salt helps make thin hair appear thicker so was wondering - has anyone tried a salt shampoo bar? I may make a batch to try.

[Crumpet]

I think I started in 2007? This thread started in 2008 anyhow and I was already using them then! My hair was about tailbone back then so you can see it certainly hasn't bad for growth :lol: My hair is also much smoother, shinier, and generally better all around using shampoo bars.

Erm, yes, you have absolutely gorgeous hair! Its good to hear that the poo bars work long term. I saw that some people with waxiness issues over time so I wasn't sure if people switched off an on the poo bars or not. If I end up with hair like yours in a few years I'll be pretty ecstatic!

I'm attending a memorial service this weekend, so I won't chance any hair madness prior to it. I'm eager to start my shampoo bars when I get back early next week though. I'm thinking of starting with the CV coconut bar since my hair adores coconut and she recommends it as a starter bar. If all goes well, I plan to rotate through my three sample bars since people seemed to like that earlier in this thread. My hair also likes ACV rinses so I should have no problems there.

Quick question: Should I do a baking soda clarifying treatment before my first poo bar usage? I mostly use -cone and sulfate free poos and condish, but would it be a good idea before I get going?

Thanks for all of the help and inspiration everyone -- I'm excited!!

[Chromis]

Thanks Crumpet! (Your username makes me hungry :))

I didn't do any sort of clarifying and have never usedbaking soda on my hair. I did not have any kind of transition period at all either. Even when I tried going back to regular shampoo and a Coney conditioner it was fine when I switched back to my beloved bars. The onlytimes my hair has felt waxy were when I tried not using a rinse ordidnt use a strong enough rinse after moving to an area with harder water.

[Neecola]

I make shampoo bars and have been reading the seaweed thread which says the salt helps make thin hair appear thicker so was wondering - has anyone tried a salt shampoo bar? I may make a batch to try.

I have not... do you think that the salt would be damaging to hair over time?

I was just thinking about something you posted before (at least, I think it was you)... didn't you find a way to add citric acid to your shampoo bars without ruining their effectiveness?

[kdaniels8811]

Yes, the citric acid does away with the need for a vinegar rinse and we have really hard water. I was thinking about the seaweed being so salty so maybe that is the reason it makes the hair look thicker. Will peruse this some more, I need to make a batch so will add salt to a couple to see what kind of result I get.

[Neecola]

Veeeeery interesting, kdaniels! I will send you a pm so as not to derail this thread :)

[Perididdle]

I'm very happy with my hair right now! I'm having trouble getting it to look like I want it to down, but I had that problem on normal shampoo and conditioner...it's so much longer than I've had it in at least a decade that I don't know what to do with it!

But I finally figured out a system that works for me. I CWC with Tresemme Naturals, lathering up extra rich with a shampoo bar. I've been using CV's coconut milk to GREAT success. Rinse, apply conditioner over the whole thing, let it sit during showerly duties. Rinse out, then vinegar rinse (finally found the right balance to not get smelly hair!), then rinse that out. It sounds long, but takes no longer than my old CWC regimen seemed to. Then I comb it out and put something on the ends. With no other product, the hair on my crown stays nice and sleek without feeling gunky, and the ends curl up. And it feels so smooth in my hands! It's not perfect, yet, but I like it enough to stick with it!

I'll think I'll try the cafe moreno, honey beer & egg, and the ayurvedic bars next. Woo!

[cooklaezo13]

I got my ayurvedic herb bar and my butter bar today! Wow, the full size bars are HUGE! I cut my ayurvedic herb bar in half, and I chopped it up and mixed it with warm water to make it into a liquid. I'm going to test it out today. I'm hoping it will be easier than washing with a solid bar, because it takes me a while to lather up all of my thick hair.

[Perididdle]

Wow, those who were talking about using the bars for shaving...holy crap! My legs have never felt this smooth AND I've gotten the smoothness to last almost 24 hours Unheard of for my freak follicles. Wow, wow, wow.

[Violet.]

I had a Lush shampoo bar that helped get rid of dandruff. It worked but it stinks and it was kinda hard to use.

[Mayihuan]

Mayihuan, some people have better results with a second lather. If he is willing to give it another go, maybe that would help?

Thank you for this bit of advice. :)
I will see if he can be convinced to give it a second chance. If that doesn't work, and he's still willing to accept experimenting with his hair, I'll have him try a different shampoo bar. Maybe it's just this one that's not working with his hair somehow.

[Neecola]

Wow, those who were talking about using the bars for shaving...holy crap! My legs have never felt this smooth AND I've gotten the smoothness to last almost 24 hours Unheard of for my freak follicles. Wow, wow, wow.

:agree: Sure is nice, isn't it? I'll be interested to see if you also notice your razors lasting longer. It's nice to know that if you get a bar that doesn't work well for your hair, it has another good use.

[kellinaturalmom]

I just thought I'd share my experience with shampoo bars.

About 3 years ago I started hennaing my hair on a monthly basis. It completely changed the texture of my fine hair from dry and frizzy to smooth, shiny, and almost more... oily in a way. I was trying to go all natural with my hair products and started using shampoo bars. I tried CV bars and Prairieland Herbs bars (I much preferred the PH bars to the CV bars), and I loved them! My absolute favorite was the Rosemary Nettle bar made by Camamu. I had no "transition" period, my hair was just wonderful from the start. I didn't need conditioner at all but sometimes did ACV rinses.

So after 2 years I stupidly decided to stop hennaing and started highlighting. A lot. Suddenly, my beloved shampoo bars were not working for me. My hair was a bleached frizzy mess. I went back to liquid shampoo and gobs and gobs of conditioner.

Nowadays I'm back to hennaing and just bought my 1st (in forever) shampoo bar! I decided to go with my old favorite, Rosemary Nettle Camamu. Hoping it will work for me like it used to....

So the gist of the story is that, for me, it really did matter what the condition of my hair was when deciding if shampoo bars worked for me. Btw, anyone else out there use Camamu?

[Neecola]

Thanks for sharing Kelli... Very interesting to learn that hair condition plays a role in the effectiveness of shampoo bars. That factor didn't occur to me.

Here's hoping you're back on the bandwagon! :) I just jumped back on myself after a water change that freaked my hair out. Feels great to be back!

[Perididdle]

:agree: Sure is nice, isn't it? I'll be interested to see if you also notice your razors lasting longer. It's nice to know that if you get a bar that doesn't work well for your hair, it has another good use.

I will definitely keep an eye on them! I'm just about to start a new pack of razors, so we'll see.

I stupidly forgot to pick up ACV at the store today. Poo. I need to shower early tomorrow -- anyone here have any ideas for an acidic rinse? I have tea, and rice vinegar. Can I just use black or maybe hibiscus tea? If I did, should I dilute it or just go ahead and pour it on?

[morrigan*]

Bars don't really work for me right now, my scalp starts to itch more and more, so i will wash it with diluted shampoo today.

[Flor]

I will definitely keep an eye on them! I'm just about to start a new pack of razors, so we'll see.

I stupidly forgot to pick up ACV at the store today. Poo. I need to shower early tomorrow -- anyone here have any ideas for an acidic rinse? I have tea, and rice vinegar. Can I just use black or maybe hibiscus tea? If I did, should I dilute it or just go ahead and pour it on?

Any vinegar (or anything acidic enough) works for me! Lemon juice is nice. It's only a question of diluting enough (or rinsing well enough with plain water afterwords), because you CAN get it to work too well and end up looking like you forgot to wash off the conditioner ;)

[Neecola]

I just bought a bar of Shea Moisture soap (frankincense & myrrh) and used it as a shampoo. It is a little too heavy for my hair but it has a great lather and scent and makes a great shaving soap. Usually once I apply my ACV rinse, my hair becomes very silky but did not with this soap. It also was harder to get a lather the next time I washed. I think it may be due to all the heavy butters that probably left a residue behind. But I will buy it again for shaving.

[Perididdle]

I'm struggling a bit with bars right now after moving to my new apartment. They worked nicely for me at home, but here, our water pressure is muuuch weaker and we have harder water. My hair comes out pretty sticky. The interesting thing is, my second day hair, when I bite the bullet and just comb it out, feels a lot better. But I've lost a lot of shine that I used to get with shampoo bars, and while I'm not averse to the way it makes my hair look, style-wise -- I still get some fun curl with no effort -- the lack of shine is a big downer for me.

Any tips from those of you in harder water/low water pressure situations? I have been doing CWC, lathering up my scalp, rinsing it, conditioning my whole head, rinsing it, and then doing a vinegar rinse. I have considered bailing on bars, but the way my ends feel with them is second to none. I washed my hair with Lush's Tricomania and my old shampoo the last two times. Nice shine, but holy ends. Now, my ends were horrendous...but the shampoo bars made that *okay*. I finally got a cut, and don't want to destroy my ends in one shampoo.

I'm currently using CV shampoos, mostly Coconut Milk. I tried the Henna Chestnut and Rosemary & Lavender just to see, but they were worse. Considering buying Cafe Moreno and Ayurvedic because I've heard good things...?

[Chromis]

When I moved somewhere with harder water, I had to play around with my rinse until I found a winning combo again. I make mine much stronger than most people do here! That brought back the shine and got rid of that icky feeling. If I overdo the ACV/citric mixture my hair feels flat and...odd. You'll know when if happens most likely since you know what it ought to feel like already :)

I only use the bars, no conditioner so I have no CWC advice. I did swap my showerhead for better flow. I've even done that in most apartments I've lived in. It is easy and cheap and you can just stick the original in a drawer to swap back out when you move!

[Flor]

Same here, no conditioner. I think most shampoo bars work as 2-in-1, there's enough oils in them to do conditioning part as well. Although I did have a few that were more "clarifying" than others.

With hard water, you could try using regular shampoo every 2-4 washes or so to remove build-up. Or tweak the rinse (could try citric acid rinse instead of AVC, it's probably more chelating and less coating than AVC and it neutralizes a lot of heavy minerals in water). For low water pressure - fill up some containers with water (I use big mixing bowls for baking) and use that to pour water on your head. Or check if you could switch to one of those shower head that emulate higher pressure.

[Perididdle]

I use the conditioner because when I didn't, I felt like my hair wasn't quite getting where I wanted to go. I might try switching back -- possibly with the new water type, I'm just overdoing it?

We already swapped out showerheads. This one is better, but with the crummy flow overall, it seems like only so much can be done. =( I did find out we can switch it to a flow that shoots out three narrow jets that are a bit more intense, so I'll give that a try!

I also like the idea of switching to a CA rinse. Hrm. I'll try playing with my vinegar rinse a bit. I was overusing at first, now I may be underusing...ack. The little details!

I also picked up some normal shampoo (Tea Tree Tingle) at Trader Joe's yesterday. I just came back from the salon and I know there are cones all over my head. I'll do a nice wash and start back over at square one. Onward...

[picklepie]

Shampoo bars have solved so many problems for me, that I just can't go back to CO ever again (acne, large number of plastic bottles, sores on itchy scalp, hives on body from... fragrance? etc.). But detangling with shampoo bars is proving difficult. I finger-detangle as well as I can before I shower, but it's not super-effective. My current practice is to comb with a wide-tooth comb while rinsing the suds out-- it seems to result in the least breakage. But there's still quite a bit. How do other curlies detangle when using shampoo bars? I hAve read here that some people's tangles just "fall out" with the vinegar rinse, but maybe at WL/3a/iii I just have too much hair for that to happen. Other ideas?

[Flor]

^ Maybe try a heavier AVC rinse or simply a larger quality of it? I mix about 3 tb.sp. per 1 liter of COLD water. This way I can pour it rather quickly and with strong flow, so it does make most tangles fall out. I then let it sit for a few minutes and then detangle. I also find that white wine vinegar has more viscosity to it than ACV (at least from my limited experience), so it won't wash off as easily, but will give you more slip to work with while you're detangling.

[picklepie]

I'll try that, thanks! I only use about 16oz of diluted rinse, so increasing the volume might help!

[picklepie]

Also, I don't like white wine vinegar for eating/cooking, so now I have something to do with it! :)

[Neecola]

picklepie, have you tried a few drops of oil on the length immediately after washing/ACV rinse?

[picklepie]

picklepie, have you tried a few drops of oil on the length immediately after washing/ACV rinse?

I've tried mineral oil, coconut and olive-- all three seemed to make my hair *more* tangly, and almost "sticky". I played around a lot with mineral oil after ktani recommended it here, from 1 drop up to 10, but never found an amount that gave slip. Does this have to do with porosity or something? I don't know where I fall on that scale. Though my hair is %100 virgin in every way, which I think leans to low porosity?

[Neecola]

^ I am clueless when it comes to porosity! Catnip tea makes my hair pretty slippery too...

[VJG]

How did you choose the right shampoo bar for your hair type?

[Neecola]

VJG, I think it is mostly down to trial and error but Chagrin Valley's website has some starting points:

http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/helpchoose/chshampmain.aspx

[WoolSweater]

I've used a shampoo bar for quite some time from a creator on Etsy. It wasn't until recently when I purchased a clarifying "normal" tube of shampoo did I realize how wrong that shampoo bar was for my hair... I thought it was just *my hair* that matted and tangled up into a crazy mess after the shower, and dried frizzy beyond all reason... but when I shampooed with the tube of store-bought shampoo, my hair was much less tangled and frizzy. I'll finish this bottle out, but I love the idea of a shampoo bar, so my search continues for one that doesn't turn my normally silky hair into a rat's nest. Maybe I'll start with some Chargin Valley samples!

[AmyBeth]

Sorry if this has been discussed- I just don't have time to read through 608 pages! But I am wondering if anyone can tell me if the different formulations of shampoo bars really make a difference? Specifically, the moisturizing bars as opposed to the bars recommended for oily hair? Is there much difference? Or is it so individual that I just have to try for myself? If so, can you recommend a good one for oily hair and scalp?

[Flor]

AmyBeth, I've been using shampoo bars from 2 different Etsy sellers in the last year. I've tried EVERY variety they have over the course of the year, simply because I'm curious and I prefer my own testimony ;) I did eventually find a favorite. Note though, I consider my hair normal-to-oily and I still prefer one that's more moisturizing than others. I may need to lather it for an extra minute to properly clean hair, but it gives me less fly-aways and generally makes hair feel heavier and each strand fuller. Those aimed for oily hair tend to work better at cleansing oil off, but they are also a bit more drying.

I find it that soap aimed for oily hair gives me an extra day I can stretch washes, but I choose to wash more often with those aimed for dry hair, because of how tame and moisturized it makes my hair feel right after wash.

[Almendra]

Has someone tried coconut soap to wash the hair? In my country isn't easy find shampoo bars and the last week I find this coconut soap. The label said that it could be used in the skin and the hair.
What do you think?

[AmyBeth]

Has someone tried coconut soap to wash the hair? In my country isn't easy find shampoo bars and the last week I find this coconut soap. The label said that it could be used in the skin and the hair.
What do you think?

I just ordered some samples from Chagrin Valley and one of the samples is coconut soap. It was highly recommended on the site as a very versatile and popular shampoo bar. I hope it works well for me and I hope yours works for you. It is also recommended that when you start using a solid cleansing for hair that you finish with an apple cider vinegar rinse.

[Theobroma]

Has someone tried coconut soap to wash the hair? In my country isn't easy find shampoo bars and the last week I find this coconut soap. The label said that it could be used in the skin and the hair.
What do you think?

I've never tried coconut soap, but I've had good results using a certain brand of all-natural regular soap on my hair (Weleda Rosemary). I've also heard people mention castile soap for hair, which is basically olive oil soap that you might be able to get in health food stores or similar places.

For preference, I use Dudu-Osun African Black Soap which I buy online; this is marketed as being for skin and hair -- and I do in fact use it for the rest of me as well! :)

As someone has said, don't forget to rinse afterwards with diluted vinegar or citric acid to counteract the alkalinity of the soap!

[Magdalene]

Sorry if this has already been addressed, this is a VERY long thread! Has anyone else had a problem with tangles from using shampoo bars? I just got some from Southland Soaps and got major tangles from rubbing the bar over my hair(it took alot of rubbing to get up enough lather)

[oatmealpie]

Sorry if this has already been addressed, this is a VERY long thread! Has anyone else had a problem with tangles from using shampoo bars? I just got some from Southland Soaps and got major tangles from rubbing the bar over my hair(it took alot of rubbing to get up enough lather)

I got tangles the first few times, too. It helped me to do a CWAC routine: condition with a thin conditioner like Suave or V05, wash with the shampoo bar, rinse with apple cider vinegar diluted in distilled water, then condition again. No more tangles, plus lots of shine!

[oatmealpie]

Double post.

[Theobroma]

Sorry if this has already been addressed, this is a VERY long thread! Has anyone else had a problem with tangles from using shampoo bars? I just got some from Southland Soaps and got major tangles from rubbing the bar over my hair(it took alot of rubbing to get up enough lather)

I think it's more hair-friendly to lather up the bar in your hands and then transfer the lather to your hair. You'll probably need to do this several times to get enough lather, but this way there shouldn't be any more tangles than with shampoo.

[Neecola]

Sorry if this has already been addressed, this is a VERY long thread! Has anyone else had a problem with tangles from using shampoo bars? I just got some from Southland Soaps and got major tangles from rubbing the bar over my hair(it took alot of rubbing to get up enough lather)

Hi Magdalene. I do not detangle immediately after rinsing the shampoo (I have a detachable shower head which is great for rinsing well without touching). I usually dump the acid rinse and leave that for a few minutes, rinse, follow that with conditioner on the ends and/or oil and then only after that has sat in my hair a few minutes do I try to detangle.

Also, you might find it helpful to do two washes, a tip I got from this thread. The first wash is just a quick once over with gentle rubbing and not necessarily trying to create a lot of lather and then the second wash seems to take to lathering easier. Are you adding a bit of water to the lather? That really helps too.

[AmyBeth]

Sorry if this has already been addressed, this is a VERY long thread! Has anyone else had a problem with tangles from using shampoo bars? I just got some from Southland Soaps and got major tangles from rubbing the bar over my hair(it took alot of rubbing to get up enough lather)

If I didn't rinse with ACV after a shampoo bar my hair would be massively tangled. ACV makes the difference, especially with the hard water in my house.

[Almendra]

I just ordered some samples from Chagrin Valley and one of the samples is coconut soap. It was highly recommended on the site as a very versatile and popular shampoo bar. I hope it works well for me and I hope yours works for you. It is also recommended that when you start using a solid cleansing for hair that you finish with an apple cider vinegar rinse.


I've never tried coconut soap, but I've had good results using a certain brand of all-natural regular soap on my hair (Weleda Rosemary). I've also heard people mention castile soap for hair, which is basically olive oil soap that you might be able to get in health food stores or similar places.

For preference, I use Dudu-Osun African Black Soap which I buy online; this is marketed as being for skin and hair -- and I do in fact use it for the rest of me as well! :)

As someone has said, don't forget to rinse afterwards with diluted vinegar or citric acid to counteract the alkalinity of the soap!

Thanks girls. I used it today but I didn't read your answers until now. I have read too much about apple cider vinegar and I always forgot to buy it. Yesterday I apply coconut oil (like every night before washing) and today when I was in the shower, I decided to use the coconut soap. Bad idea. My hair look still looks greasy. I washed it twice with the soap and then I added a little bit of shampoo. My scalp is clean because I didn't apply oil in it. Anyway, I guess this soap is more gentle than my usual shampoo, and I'm gonna try it again when I got not oil in my hair and have bought vinegar :p

[Flor]

^ I'd go as far as say that shampoo bars ONLY work with some sort of acidic rinse. Lemon juice, citric acid, ACV, white wine vinegar solution - you name it. But something acidic to close the cuticles and remove any soap residue. Just find the diluting proportions that work best for your hair.

[Flor]

Not sure if I should start a new thread on this, but here's a question! Anyone tried using not a shampoo bar, but regular soap or even shaving bars to wash hair with from same sellers that do shampoo bars on Etsy?

At the same time as I switched to shampoo bars a year ago, I decided to purchase a few soaps from the same Etsy seller to replace my usual shower gels as well. It never occurred to me try those on hair! I don't know why, I guess I just trusted that shampoo bars should be better for that? Although the main ingredients are identical. But last month I also decided to try a shaving bar, so I finally bought one (and really happy with it too, although those seems to be mostly targeted to men :D). The shaving bar I tried is a bit different in formulation to soap and shampoo bars I've been using, it has shea butter in it. I figured it was unlikely something really bad would happen if I try to wash my hair once with it, so I did it. It made it SOOOOO soft and silky. Very similar to what would be the effect of heavy coconut overnight oiling. I think I'm sold!

[Theobroma]

Anyway, I guess this soap is more gentle than my usual shampoo, and I'm gonna try it again when I got not oil in my hair and have bought vinegar :p

I think any soap (or shampoo bar) is gentler than shampoo -- that's actually the reason why I use soap. Shampoo dries my hair too much.

I don't do deep oilings, but I've noticed that to get my scalp clean enough I have to lather twice as a matter of course and if there's any buildup on my length (from aloe vera gel, in my case), removing it generally takes a third lathering and extra effort to work the lather through the length. Whereas with shampoo, just having the suds run down the length was quite often enough to take care of minor buildup issues. That says a lot about how gentle soap is compared to shampoo.

But I agree with Flor -- an acid rinse is a must. The alkalinity of the soap makes the cuticle scales stand on end and if you don't counteract that with something acidic, you'll end up with a tangly uncombable mess!

[Theobroma]

Not sure if I should start a new thread on this, but here's a question! Anyone tried using not a shampoo bar, but regular soap or even shaving bars to wash hair with from same sellers that do shampoo bars on Etsy?

Not from Etsy sellers, but I do use (sort of) regular soap (Dudu-Osun African Black). I've also used Weleda Rosemary soap which isn't "supposed" to be for hair at all. I get good results from both, but the Dudu-Osun is slightly more moisturising. I've been using it for almost a year and a half now and my length is softer than it has any right to be. :crush:

I tend to steer clear of shampoo bars because I'm afraid they might be too moisturising for my scalp. My scalp seems to rebel against anything rich getting on it -- I can't do scalp oilings because it makes my hair come out in handfuls, and I lost a significant percentage of my thickness to CO-washing before I figured out what the problem was. The only actual shampoo bar I ever tried also seemed to cause slightly heavier shedding for me.

[TheVegan6]

I love LUSH bars, and just normal castille soap bars. I can't find any others where I live.

[VJG]

I've been using the Chagrin Valley Strawberry Henna Shampoo Bar, rinsed like crazy, followed by a bit of Everyday Coconut Conditioner, also rinsed, and completed with two cups cold filtered water plus 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar for my final rinse. I think, after much tweaking, that this process will work long term. The vinegar rinse is not my favorite smell, but I love that there are no irritating perfumes in any of these ingredients. However, have you ACVers noticed your hair smelling like vinegar when it rains? I was not thrilled. I will have to test this process for a month or more before I know if my scalp will accept it, too. Hoping! Has anyone else used a CV henna bar yet? I don't think the one I'm using has added color, but it may have increased the shine of my natural reddish/blondish highlights.

[VJG]

Those of you who have used shampoo bars long-term, have you noticed any problems with regular ACV rinses? I'm worried that the shampoo bar / ACV rinse washing style may make hair more brittle. Is your hair still elastic? I have found that my scalp itches if I do not wash/ACV most days of the week, and I am concerned that I may be damaging my length.

[Perididdle]

My length seems to be doing okay with white vinegar rinses. Sometimes it can make my ends kind of scratchy -- but since I've used them in conjunction with shampoo bars, that is not the case.

[Chromis]

Those of you who have used shampoo bars long-term, have you noticed any problems with regular ACV rinses? I'm worried that the shampoo bar / ACV rinse washing style may make hair more brittle. Is your hair still elastic? I have found that my scalp itches if I do not wash/ACV most days of the week, and I am concerned that I may be damaging my length.

Nope, I've used them for longer than this thread has been around and if anything my hair is stronger than ever!

[VJG]

Nope, I've used them for longer than this thread has been around and if anything my hair is stronger than ever!

Thank you. Do you rinse out the vinegar mix? I've been leaving it in, as my final rinse.

[VJG]

Sorry, double post.

[Chromis]

Thank you. Do you rinse out the vinegar mix? I've been leaving it in, as my final rinse.

I rinse mine out very briefly, only a quick dip back under the showerhead. Also, I mix my rinse in a big measuring cup and dunk the ends and length before I pour it over my scalp. I find if I do no rinse at all the smell bugs me, plus I am not always even in my distribution, so that lets more areas get coverage. I use a citric acid/ACV (with the mother, from a local orchard) mix.

[Neecola]

I wasn't able to get my usual Bragg's ACV this week, so I am using lemon juice instead. It has no scent once rinsed out and seems to work just as well as ACV. When I did the lemon rinse experiment before (to define curls), I felt that it dried my hair out but that may have been because I was leaving it in. So I'll keep an eye on things but so far, so good.

[VJG]

I rinse mine out very briefly, only a quick dip back under the showerhead. Also, I mix my rinse in a big measuring cup and dunk the ends and length before I pour it over my scalp. I find if I do no rinse at all the smell bugs me, plus I am not always even in my distribution, so that lets more areas get coverage. I use a citric acid/ACV (with the mother, from a local orchard) mix.

I'm not loving the vinegar scent, either. Interesting. What ratio do you currently use for ACV / citric acid (and what kind?) / water?

[Neecola]

I'm not loving the vinegar scent, either. Interesting. What ratio do you currently use for ACV / citric acid (and what kind?) / water?

As I relied very much on Chromis when I first started using shampoo bars (you're so helpful, Chromis! :flowers:), I will quote what she told me earlier in this thread:


I've uh...never actually measured this! :brains:

I'm going to hazard that it is between three and four tablespoons, not even halfway to the first measuring line (which is 1/4 cup). For the citric acid, I use about 1/8 teaspoon. I used to keep the teaspoon in the washroom too which is how I know the second one, but now I am pretty good at eyeballing a couple of shakes worth since the citric acid container I have now is different. I dunk my length in the cup and then pour the rest over my scalp. I do rinse very briefly, really more to make sure it spreads around a little rather than to rinse it clear. My husband still swears my hair smells like yogurt afterwards in the evening. I think his sniffer might be broken lol

And just in case I'm only imagining I've said this (which probably means you've read it five times already now :lol: ): I have much much better success with the organic apple cider vinegars. The cheap stuff in the big jug smells like vomit to me. I know many folks say the smell fades from their hair, but mine must be really porous or something. The organic stuff (or pretty much anything that says "with the mother") just smells like a sharp apple cider and seems to leave my hair much softer. I do have to strain it when I get now the bottom though, the last inch is always chunky :laugh:

[Chromis]

Yay, thank you Neecola! I'm glad to be of help!

That's still the ratio I use. I did try white vinegar for a while when the market didn't have any ACV over the winter (bad apple harvest that year) in the same ratios but found it more drying and more smelly. Happily back to the good stuff now and I will pick up a couple extra bottles in late fall just in case this year. :agree:

VJV - If you haven't yet, I would totally recommend reading the whole thread. I know it is long, but I just leave a tab open until I am done when catching up on these mega threads. Lots of good info and we give virtual cookies :D

[VJG]

As I relied very much on Chromis when I first started using shampoo bars (you're so helpful, Chromis! :flowers:), I will quote what she told me earlier in this thread:

Thanks so much, Neecola! Sorry, Chromis, I'm a graduate student, so I was daunted by having yet more to read.

[Neecola]

Glad to pass it on, VJG. Let us know how you get on. :)

[wrh452]

I used them for quite some time, but found I had a problem with it not removing build up from my scalp because they didn't lather enough. Anyone else have this problem or a way to fix it?

[Chromis]

I used them for quite some time, but found I had a problem with it not removing build up from my scalp because they didn't lather enough. Anyone else have this problem or a way to fix it?

I lather my scalp more than once. The first time doesn't hardly make a lather at all for me. The first go I lather my scalp and entire length. I also lift my nape hair just a little to lather underneath it and above my ears. The second lather I do my scalp and a little way down my length and the third lather is just the scalp. The third lather gets a nice fluffy lather that removes build up just fine. I do have eXtreme! hard water though. I used to only lather twice when I lived elsewhere. My bars still last me much longer than bottles of conditioner ever did :lol:

I always do an acid rinse as well. Always.

[Perididdle]

I think I've figured it out. :D I just did a shampoo bar wash last night, after having done a Tea Tree Tingle wash before going henna crazy on Saturday. I used the ayurvedic bar, lathered up my usual way -- down the center, then over the scalp, above the ears, at the nape and in sort of the center of the back of my head -- and got a lovely lather that rinsed well. I've found there's a difference between "just used shampoo bar" grippy and "this shampoo bar got my hair clean" grippy/squeaky, which is a huge revelation. I now also do two vinegar rinses, one mild and one extremely mild. I'm afraid to experiment with one big one, because I had poor experience with that in the past, but I might try next time. I rinse it all out, slap some Nightblooming Panacea on the ends, and I'm good to go. I slept with it wet last night, something I can rarely do, and it came out shiny, soft, and happy. It looks great all on its own. Huzzah!

[wrh452]

I have really hard water too. Maybe that was the problem I was having.

[Pickle-]

Hello all! Total 'poo bar newbie here! Just received my first order of samples from CV today,I'm currently waiting for my hair to dry so I can see what my results are, So far so good, but if nothing else my skin and my hair smell fantastic!!

[VJG]

I have not been getting on too well. My scalp seems to demand sulfates; no sulfate free option has worked long term without the dreaded itchy scalp. Too bad, because I have otherwise liked shampoo bars and I love the idea of completely natural body care. *sigh* I think I'm still going to try to use up my shampoo bar for most washes and clarify once a week or every other week.

[Flor]

I have not been getting on too well. My scalp seems to demand sulfates; no sulfate free option has worked long term without the dreaded itchy scalp. Too bad, because I have otherwise liked shampoo bars and I love the idea of completely natural body care. *sigh* I think I'm still going to try to use up my shampoo bar for most washes and clarify once a week or every other week.

Have you tried massaging your scalp every night? I used to get itchy scalp too and I always thought it was a bad habit to stick your fingers into your hair and that it makes it more oily, so I tried to avoid touching it at all times. Since starting to read the forum, I got into a habit of gently massaging the scalp with fingertips every night for about 15-30 minutes (while chilling on the sofa in front of the tv before going to bed) and it greatly improved things. Besides it's really relaxing and calming.

[VJG]

Have you tried massaging your scalp every night? I used to get itchy scalp too and I always thought it was a bad habit to stick your fingers into your hair and that it makes it more oily, so I tried to avoid touching it at all times. Since starting to read the forum, I got into a habit of gently massaging the scalp with fingertips every night for about 15-30 minutes (while chilling on the sofa in front of the tv before going to bed) and it greatly improved things. Besides it's really relaxing and calming.

Hmm, that sounds really nice. I should say, the itchy scalp comes with little scabs all over my head. Do you think massage would still help?

[Flor]

It might!! Try to avoid picking them with your nails though. Just gently massage them. It's likely they'll go away over time. I used to have a spot on the left side with scabs, no longer there.

[Skade]

I have been co-washing for over two years, but I am interested in trying a shampoo bar. But I get a little confused about which one to buy, there are so many different kinds and brands. Anyone who can give tips to a shampoo bar newbie? Which kind do you prefer and think works best? Thankful for any suggestions.

And by the way, when I have been looking around, I got interested in trying Chagrin Valleys Ayurvedic shampoo bar. Anyone with experience from it?

[Bruiser]

I can't believe I read this entire thread, what am I going to do with my life now?

[Chromis]

I can't believe I read this entire thread, what am I going to do with my life now?

Enjoy your shampoo bars and these delicious cookies!

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2119/2467137763_7f9160a857.jpg
Molasses chocolate chip, deeeeelicilous! (I bought the molasses for hair experimenting but decided cooking with it is less work, heh)

[Theobroma]

(I bought the molasses for hair experimenting but decided cooking with it is less work, heh)

Only on a longhair forum! :rollin:

(Those cookies do look scrumptious, BTW.)

[Neecola]

Oh, those look divine Chromis!

I bought some molasses for hair experimenting too and I'm not sure of the results. I put some in my flax seed gel and tried it side by side with the plain FSG and it didn't seem to make any difference. Maybe I need to add more in the next batch.

Skade, I have used the Ayurvedic bar and I like it. I do tend to lather it up in my hands first as it does have bits of herbs in it. What I did was order a selection of samples from CV to experiment. If there are any that you don't like, they make great shaving soaps.

[KittyBird]

I have been co-washing for over two years, but I am interested in trying a shampoo bar. But I get a little confused about which one to buy, there are so many different kinds and brands. Anyone who can give tips to a shampoo bar newbie? Which kind do you prefer and think works best? Thankful for any suggestions.

And by the way, when I have been looking around, I got interested in trying Chagrin Valleys Ayurvedic shampoo bar. Anyone with experience from it?

I've tried that bar, and it has lots of tiny bits in it that snag my hair. Rip rip snap was all I heard when I used it.
From CV I like Summer Sunshine, Rosemary Lavender, Nettle, Coconut Milk and Butter Bar.

Right now I prefer SweetCreekHerbals (https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/sweetcreekherbalsoap) though. Rosemary Clay (https://www.etsy.com/no-en/listing/63244782/vegan-herbal-shampoo-soap-rosemary-clay?ref=shop_home_active) and Beer Orange n Honey (https://www.etsy.com/no-en/listing/118419686/silk-herbal-shampoo-soap-beer-orange-n?ref=shop_home_active) are my favourites. They're amazing!

[Bruiser]

Oh thank you chromis "nom nom nom"

[Bruiser]

Anyone else have mixed results with the same bars? I'll use one chagrin valley bar have great results and then use it again and my hair is crunchy and dull..

[Chromis]

Anyone else have mixed results with the same bars? I'll use one chagrin valley bar have great results and then use it again and my hair is crunchy and dull..

I find my hair gets dull if I wash too often. In my case that is more than once or twice a week. (Once a week is normal for me) I also get different results if I get the acid rinse ratios wrong!

I normally fully use up a bar before moving to the next. I used to mix it up but found it did not make a difference and it is simpler to only have one bar on the go. I like simple. :)

[Neecola]

Hmmm, I haven't tried Sweet Creek Herbal's bars yet. I switch between PLH & CV and I do find I have the best results when I switch it up every few washes.

[Bruiser]

Hmm.. You might be on to something chromis, I went a little crazy and bought 10 different flavours so I've been experimenting a lot and washing a lot more frequently. I'll try to stretch my washes back out to when my hair actually needs to be washed and see if that helps! :flowers

[Skade]

Oh, those look divine Chromis!
Skade, I have used the Ayurvedic bar and I like it. I do tend to lather it up in my hands first as it does have bits of herbs in it. What I did was order a selection of samples from CV to experiment. If there are any that you don't like, they make great shaving soaps.

Thank you for your help. I will order some samples and see how it fares, and lather up the ayurvedic one with my hands first.


I've tried that bar, and it has lots of tiny bits in it that snag my hair. Rip rip snap was all I heard when I used it.
From CV I like Summer Sunshine, Rosemary Lavender, Nettle, Coconut Milk and Butter Bar.

Right now I prefer SweetCreekHerbals (https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/sweetcreekherbalsoap) though. Rosemary Clay (https://www.etsy.com/no-en/listing/63244782/vegan-herbal-shampoo-soap-rosemary-clay?ref=shop_home_active) and Beer Orange n Honey (https://www.etsy.com/no-en/listing/118419686/silk-herbal-shampoo-soap-beer-orange-n?ref=shop_home_active) are my favourites. They're amazing!

Thank you for your help. I have been looking at shampoo bars on Etsy as well but gotten so confused by the numbers of different sellers. But looking at those bars and reading the ingredients, they look good and worth trying. Just a pity that they take so much for shipping. I think it is ok that they take a lot for the first item, I mean that´s standard. But to take so much for all following as well.. But I will give it a try, maybe they are worth it :)

[KittyBird]

I agree Skade, the shipping is pretty insane in some of the shops. However, many of them have options for package deals, and it's also possible to contact the shop, tell them what you want and have them create a custom listing for you. For example, SweetCreek has a page where you can buy sets of 5 bars, 10 bars, sets of samples, etc. When I try a new shop, I buy a single soap first to try. If I like it, I'll go back and buy a set of soaps the next time.

[Skade]

I agree Skade, the shipping is pretty insane in some of the shops. However, many of them have options for package deals, and it's also possible to contact the shop, tell them what you want and have them create a custom listing for you. For example, SweetCreek has a page where you can buy sets of 5 bars, 10 bars, sets of samples, etc. When I try a new shop, I buy a single soap first to try. If I like it, I'll go back and buy a set of soaps the next time.

That sounds good that you can order a set on Sweetcake, maybe it helps some on the shipping.

Yes, and it never ceases to amaze me how different it is about the shipping on Etsy. One seller can have a shipping charge on 16 dollar for one hair stick and another just takes 5 for sending one stick. And then how different it is about the shipping on multible items, those who charge a lot for every item in the package sometimes makes it so the shipping in the end cost more than the items. When I find those with cheap shipping, I get so happy that I go shopping crazy. :)

[kiezel]

I just started using this, from a small shop: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1.w4004-4988568162.20.cgnCj6&id=26125404803

It's 100% natural, made from camellia oil, rose hip oil, coconut oil and grapeseed oil. The pH is 7-8, and it made my hair super poffy, and it brought out my wave! A little. But anyways, at this point I'd rather use natural stuff than risk chemical sensitivities from silicone and SLS.

[CRX<3]

I got a newbie question about glycerin, why does ecological soap bars often contain glycerin, and shampoo bars don't? I have found that the diffrence between a soap and a shampoo often is the glycerin i the ingredient list. Will the extra glycerin make my hair weird in some way? Any thoughts about this? :)

[Applegirl84]

Just did my first shampoo bar wash (CV Cafe Moreno), so far so good! Hope it keeps up

[Soullurre]

I use one call neBali Soap. A Vanilla one.
Vanilla
Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Water, Alkali (NaOH), Vanilla Fragrant Oil, Paprika Powder, Rolled Oats, Crushed Vanilla Bean

Then there's a Jasmine One. I love the soap.

Jasmine:
Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Water, Alkali (NaOH), Jasmine Fragrant Oil, Dried Jasmine Flower Petals

The Site: http://www.balisoap.net/
I get mine at Earthbound. I hate using shampoo. So use these. And they work good and smell amazing. I really love the Jasmine one.

[Bruiser]

Anyone tried the CV henna bars?

[Loviatar]

I have. I can't tell you whether they've coloured my hair, as I keep a small stack of about eight sample size chunks cut off my bars on a soap rack and I use a different one each wash. However, in general it lathers well and smells great, although so far I don't like the results as much as I do my 'staple' bars. I also find, like Ayurvedic Herb, that it is quite a gritty bar. But I have not noticed any damage from using either Henna bar or AHerb bar directly on my hair.

I use Henna Strawberry as I'm never letting indigo touch my hair again in any form.

My 'staple' bars: Coconut Milk, Summer Sunshine, Cafe Moreno, Mud & Clay.

[fritillary]

This has been such an interesting thread to read through! It's awesome to see that shampoo bars have worked so nicely for so many people. I, too, have started using them and I love the results. I'm trying out different ones from Chagrin Valley, and so far I think I like the Ayurvedic bar. But I have a couple of questions...

Is there a ratio that tends to work better for certain types of hair? For instance, I have fine hair, but my ends are a bit rough from heat styling which I have since ceased. The rest of my hair is undyed and very shiny/silky. I've been using about a cap full of white vinegar (I don't want the apple cider vinegar to stain my silver/white strands) to a plastic Solo cup full of water. I've noticed that my hair tends to go flat/greasy faster now, so I'm wondering if I should change up the ratio a little. I tend to wash every 4 days, but it's getting hard to stretch it that far now. I do make sure to rinse my hair very thoroughly after the shampoo bar wash.

Also, I'm curious as to whether people are conditioning their hair before the vinegar rinse, after the vinegar rinse, or not at all.

Thank you so much for your answers! :D

[Theobroma]

I have no idea how much water a "Solo cup" holds, but I've found that a couple of tablespoons of vinegar (I use white too, for the same reason as you!) in a litre or so of water is plenty. There's no need to make the vinegar rinse too strong! I suppose that if your cup holds significantly less and you're routinely exposing your scalp to too high an acidity, that might be a reason for extra greasiness. You could easily test that by using a weaker vinegar solution and seeing what happens.

As for your other question, I don't use conditioner at all -- don't need it with bar soap, a few drops of EVOO does the job perfectly -- but if I did, I'd instinctively do the vinegar rinse before conditioning.

[millyaulait]

I just bought my first bar(s) to try out! How exciting! I hope they work for me... :)

[Neecola]

Fritillary, I do use conditioner but just on the very ends. I do this after a light vinegar rinse. I used to use a much stronger rinse (Chromis' mix, actually) but when I moved to a place with filtered water, I find I need much less acid.

Good luck with your shampoo bars, millyaulait. Keep us posted!

[Chromis]

Neecola - You know what is funny? We finally got a water softener just a couple of weeks ago! Now I am having to reformulate my own mix completely :lol:

It's nice having the dishes coming out so much cleaner, but so far my scalp has not been very impressed.

Fritillary - I don't use conditioner at all, just an acid rinse. I do oil the day after I wash (I get the greaseball look when I oil damp hair, but others have much better results with damp hair instead of dry!).

[Neecola]

Oh Chromis, when we first moved my hair was a nightmare! It felt like velcro and I had to switch to a vitamin C shampoo to help remove some of the residue. Now that my hair and scalp have adjusted, I love it and have been back full time to shampoo bars for about 3 months. I'm sure once you get past the adjustment phase, you'll be really happy with the results.

Yep, love the cleaner dishes, the ease of cleaning the showers and sinks and my skin no longer feeling like a desert after a shower!

[fritillary]

I have no idea how much water a "Solo cup" holds, but I've found that a couple of tablespoons of vinegar (I use white too, for the same reason as you!) in a litre or so of water is plenty. There's no need to make the vinegar rinse too strong! I suppose that if your cup holds significantly less and you're routinely exposing your scalp to too high an acidity, that might be a reason for extra greasiness. You could easily test that by using a weaker vinegar solution and seeing what happens.

As for your other question, I don't use conditioner at all -- don't need it with bar soap, a few drops of EVOO does the job perfectly -- but if I did, I'd instinctively do the vinegar rinse before conditioning.

Thank you! I believe a Solo cup holds, when filled to the top, 16 ounces. I will try a more dilute solution next time.



Fritillary, I do use conditioner but just on the very ends. I do this after a light vinegar rinse. I used to use a much stronger rinse (Chromis' mix, actually) but when I moved to a place with filtered water, I find I need much less acid.

Good luck with your shampoo bars, millyaulait. Keep us posted!

Ah, I've just put a filter on my shower head, so I'll take that into consideration. I'll try a more dilute rinse next time. Thank you!



Neecola - You know what is funny? We finally got a water softener just a couple of weeks ago! Now I am having to reformulate my own mix completely :lol:

It's nice having the dishes coming out so much cleaner, but so far my scalp has not been very impressed.

Fritillary - I don't use conditioner at all, just an acid rinse. I do oil the day after I wash (I get the greaseball look when I oil damp hair, but others have much better results with damp hair instead of dry!).

Gotcha. I think I'm going to try breaking up with my conditioner completely and see how that does. Thanks for the info!

[Rushli]

On page 10 and I am sold. My hair loves coconut oil and I just realized my poo/conditioner as sulfates in them (I swear, I picked it because it did not... I must be crazy), so I think I should be able to find at least 1 bar that will work for me. I just need to read another 600 pages to makes sure I pick the right samples to try. hehe. Then I need to figure out what to try for a rinse. I tried ACV before and I had oily hair. It might work differently when followed after a poo bar, but it did not work after BS or my regular poo. Anyway, that will be another thread.

[Loviatar]

I don't use conditioner either, which is a pain as I have tons of bottles to use up from my CO days. Oh well.

I hate acv on my hair and I use citric acid crystals. I started out buying them in health stores in the wine making / brewing section, now I get a kilo bag on eBay or amazon. I have very hard water and I use a tablespoon of citric acid crystals in a litre of water. I actually rinse twice or I get residue, my water is that hard. So:

Wet hair
Lather a cleansing bar and rinse out with plain water
Lather a moisturising bar and rinse out with plain water
Repeat step 3 if I feel it needs it
Pour a jug full of acid rinse over my head after dipping ends into jug
Finger comb through
Pour a bottle full of acid rinse over hair ensuring even dispersion (the bottle neck helps get to all parts of scalp)
Comb through with seamless take comb
Rinse with plain water and air dry

I always wash bent over the bath with my head upside down. If I wash in the shower right way up I get flat hair . This happens with ANY wash method - s&c, CO, poo bars, CWC... Sigh!

[Loviatar]

Rushii, samples I'd suggest to new bar users are:

Coconut milk: moisturising, basic, rinses very clean, lathers easily
Summer sunshine: citrus based, cleansing, rinses very clean
Rosemary mint: refreshing, lathers easily, cleansing
Lemon lavender: very balancing if you have oily hair
Olive babassu, or babassu marshmallow: very rich if you have dry hair
Nettle: a good basic bar which cleans, moisturises and rinses out well.

But half the fun is trying samples! I have never found a Chagrin Valley bar I disliked.

[Theobroma]

But half the fun is trying samples! I have never found a Chagrin Valley bar I disliked.

And since shampoo bars are actually soap, anything that doesn't work for your hair can be used up on the rest of you. :)

Conversely, of course, you could try any good-quality bar soap on your hair to get a basic idea of whether the routine would work for your hair and your water. I actually use bar soap as a matter of routine and I'm so happy with it that I've never bothered to investigate "proper" shampoo bars. (Except once, and the bar seemed to make me shed too much, so I backtracked rather quickly.)

[NaClH2O]

I have recently become hooked on Chagrin Valley's 'chamomile citrus' shampoo bar. I ordered a sample a couple weeks ago, and though I have only used it twice, my hair feels so soft and silky. I got zero waxies and had no transition period, I feel very lucky. I just ordered one of their scraps sacks in the same scent since I know I love it! They are a really good deal. A pound of soap for only $9.50.

[Rushli]

I washed my hair with BS and did a ACV rinse. I tried this before and had greasy hair. The site I learned about this on said if greasy to use less AVC but less just made it worse so I stopped trying it. Reading on here lots of people actually increased ACV to avoid greasiness. I went with 1:10 ratio this time. I will find out tomorrow morning if it works for me but my roots in the front have dried and no signs of grease! (which means I can really have fun with different herbs and EOs in the rinses! I just bought a sage plant.. any guesses as to why? lol.)

I thought i might keep doing BS/ACV until my poo bars get here. (will order tomorrow) Might help me avoid any transition when starting the poo bars. The one bar of soap we have is citrus based, so I am not sure if it would work (Yardley, lemon verbena).

My list of samples:
Coconut Milk
Babassu Marsh Mallow
Carrot Milk & Honey
Ayurvedic Herb
Summer Sunshine
Nettle
Neem & Tea Tree
Rosemary Mint (decided to add it based on your suggestion)
Plus I want to try Henna Auburn. I am not ready to do a full commitment to dying my hair with henna, but this might be subtle enough to work. I have not got far enough on my reading on this thread to where people have used it yet and since I want to order tomorrow, anyone want to share their thoughts on this?

And a full bar of Cedarwood Lavender for doggies. Plus DH might like it.

One other question: Anyone use the nylon bags to put your poo bar in? It was mention on an early thread, but no real info was given if it worked for them or not.

[Rushli]

Made my order! I added a sample of Honey Beer & Egg and got a scrap sack of Carrot Milk & Honey. I will use as soap if not good on my hair. I also went ahead and got a Nylon Soap Sack and a White Oak Soap Deck. I am pretty pumped to use these!

I have been playing with coloring my hair with carrot juice and beetroot powder so I have been washing my hair every night. I tried a more diluted ACV rinse and still had dry hair. Still no greasy roots, so only one problem to figure out! I am going to pick up some Giovanni Leave-in Conditioner and aloe gel tomorrow and start playing with that and oil to see if that helps.

[Rushli]

Sorry, third post in a row, but I cant edit yet. Wouldnt you know that just minutes after placing an order I would find out my husband loves the smell of coves and the Café Moreno I was debating getting for him would have been perfect. I was not sure if he would even give the poo bars a go. Its a little hit or miss if he is on board with whatever new natural thing I want to try.

[Loviatar]

Haha :) Cafe Moreno is my favourite bar scent wise. I prefer Coconut Milk overall but CM smells fantastic. Lathers really well too.

[fritillary]

Last time I washed my hair I also tried diluting my vingear solution even more. Just a tiny splash into a 16 ounce cup of water. If anything my roots are MORE greasy. By the day after I almost wouldn't leave the house with the way it looked. Could it be possible, as Rushli suggested, that I might need to actually increase the vinegar to water ratio? I kind of switch back and forth between shampoo bars and baking soda washes, but it seems like the longer I'm on this routine, the quicker my roots become greasy. Also, by the second day my hair is completely flat. I really love these natural methods of washing, but... my hair just isn't looking very good. Any more suggestions? Thanks, everyone!

[Artista]

I have recently become hooked on Chagrin Valley's 'chamomile citrus' shampoo bar. I ordered a sample a couple weeks ago, and though I have only used it twice, my hair feels so soft and silky. I got zero waxies and had no transition period, I feel very lucky. I just ordered one of their scraps sacks in the same scent since I know I love it! They are a really good deal. A pound of soap for only $9.50.
I just saw that go away! I got the honey egg beer shampoo sack. I love CV. I love that it's totally family owned for over 10 years and their values. If you haven't found a favorite shampoo bar, you can't go wrong with sample bars. If they don't work on your head, they will on your body. I've been their customer for 8 years. I love their products and I love supporting a family who are wonderful at heart too.

[Artista]

Haha :) Cafe Moreno is my favourite bar scent wise. I prefer Coconut Milk overall but CM smells fantastic. Lathers really well too.

I agree with Moreno. Smells so devine! I use it as a body bar since my scalp prefers honey egg beer or coconut milk.

[Neecola]

fritillary - I'm stumped. Shampoo bars have given me the most volume and have allowed me stretch washes further than any other method (though I've never tried BS). Everyone is different though. Do you work your fingers close to the scalp? Once I have a good lather going, I tip my head to the side to allow my fingers under the hair and massage the scalp with lather. I also learned from this thread to do a quick duck under the shower to add a bit more water to the lather, helping it spread.

It wouldn't hurt to try a stronger vinegar rinse since weaker seemed to make the problem worse. Keep us posted!

[fritillary]

fritillary - I'm stumped. Shampoo bars have given me the most volume and have allowed me stretch washes further than any other method (though I've never tried BS). Everyone is different though. Do you work your fingers close to the scalp? Once I have a good lather going, I tip my head to the side to allow my fingers under the hair and massage the scalp with lather. I also learned from this thread to do a quick duck under the shower to add a bit more water to the lather, helping it spread.

It wouldn't hurt to try a stronger vinegar rinse since weaker seemed to make the problem worse. Keep us posted!

Thanks so much for the reply, Neecola! If anyone would have a problem with them it would be me. I've been battling my hair for as long as I can remember. It's always something. But now especially since I've not only broken up with traditional shampoos, silicones, and sulfates, but I've stopped dyeing it too. There's gonna be a learning curve, I guess.

I do get my fingers really close to the scalp. I try to concentrate most of the lather there, but it's hard since my hair isn't too long to begin with. Just chin length. Can I ask how many times you "shampoo" with the bar when you're in the shower? Just once or a couple times?

So yeah, tomorrow is a wash day - I've had my hair pinned back all day because it's a greaseball - and I'm going to try and up my dilution to 1/4 cup of vinegar to 16 ounces of water. That's the weakest solution recommended on CV's website. I wonder if it might be better to rinse or leave it in. I'll definitely keep trying things because I really want to love these shampoo bars!

[NaClH2O]

I am very slowly reading through this thread (taking ages! :p) But would like to share my experiences so far:

- I have used these soaps - "chamomile citrus" and "coconut milk", both for oily hair, over the past week. I wash every other day and get great lather.
- I rinse with 1 tablespoon organic ACV (w/the mother) and 1 small squirt of VO5 conditioner in about 1L of warm water. I leave it on while I wash my body and shave my legs, then rinse off. So soft!
- I have had fantastic experiences so far. My hair is light, extremely soft, and my waves are coming out more than ever. I would say I'm solidly 2b after washing with a shampoo bar and doing a vinegar/conditioner rinse afterwards.
- I also tried the "shea rose & clay" complexion soap on my face over the past few days and haven't had any breakouts or negative reactions to it. Plus it smells divine.
- Overall, my hair feels less "weighted down" when I'm using shampoo bars. I have better waves, it is softer, and smells very clean all day long. :thumbsup:

I can't wait to try more samples!

[Rushli]

NaClH2O - what page are you on? I have made it to 125. I figured by then I would have read everything on the topic, but I still have been running into new tidbits here or there.

I did my third BS wash today. I also tried citric acid rinse instead of AVC. My hair is less dried out but still frizzy, even with almond oil added while wet. I could not even run my fingers through all of it in the shower because I had a few major tangles. It is the most curly it has been without product and a diffuser since growing past SL. I never did get the aloe gel or leave in condish, so I have to wait to see if that will help. The curls make me hopeful that soap bars wont need a big adjustment period once I get them.

[NaClH2O]

I'm on page 196 and have been reading for over a week! Ha! I just keep a tab open. :p It's extremely helpful and I'm learning a lot.

I did not start with a baking soda wash, I just jumped right in and have been getting good results. I skipped BS because it has been discussed as being extremely drying, and I did not want to subject my scalp to that when I already have a problem with frizz. I only use the shampoo bar on the scalp and allow the suds to travel over the length when I rinse it out. I feel like it gets clean enough that way. :o

[Chromis]

Some people report an adjustment period, but I know for me it was smooth sailing an happy hair all the way! I've had to adjust my acid rinse along the way for greatest joy, but even when I am a bit off my hair still acts nicer than it did with shampoo and conditioner. The only time I've had a bad time with shampoo bars is if I forget to do a rinse!

Now that we have a water softener it seems I can just do the acv and save my citric acid for cheese making. (Today we made cottage cheese for the first time! Usually I do mozzarella.)

[Chromis]

Some people report an adjustment period, but I know for me it was smooth sailing an happy hair all the way! I've had to adjust my acid rinse along the way for greatest joy, but even when I am a bit off my hair still acts nicer than it did with shampoo and conditioner. The only time I've had a bad time with shampoo bars is if I forget to do a rinse!

Now that we have a water softener it seems I can just do the acv and save my citric acid for cheese making. (Today we made cottage cheese for the first time! Usually I do mozzarella.)

ALso, while you two are waiting for that plate of cookies I promise at the end of the thread, some pretzels to keep you going:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5097/5579738359_007cdedffc.jpg
:cheer:

ETA: Hey! I clicked edit, not reply!!! >_>

[fritillary]

Some people report an adjustment period, but I know for me it was smooth sailing an happy hair all the way! I've had to adjust my acid rinse along the way for greatest joy, but even when I am a bit off my hair still acts nicer than it did with shampoo and conditioner. The only time I've had a bad time with shampoo bars is if I forget to do a rinse!

Now that we have a water softener it seems I can just do the acv and save my citric acid for cheese making. (Today we made cottage cheese for the first time! Usually I do mozzarella.)

I think if I can't get the vinegar dilution right I'll try citric acid next. Also, do you think an SLS wash might help to get rid of any perhaps remaining cones I have in my hair? Could this all be buildup? I'm not entirely sure I clarified before I started using shampoo bars, to be honest. I was too excited! :B

[Rushli]

195! You are almost 1/3 of the way there! And Chromis, those pretzels look yummy!
I am doing the BS wash because I just ordered my poo bars friday. My shampoo had sulfates so I decided not to continue to use it. My hair has been dry and last time I tried BS/ACV I had greasy hair, so I did not figure dryness would be an issue! I am thankful for the chance to see how my hair is reacting to different acid rinses. Update on the citric acid rinse, now about 4 hours after washing, I ran my fingers through the area with the big tangle and it was gone! It was one of the biggest tangles I have had.

[Chromis]

I didn't do a clarifying washbefore I started. I'm not sure I have ever done one on purpose.

I did find with hard water that a combo of citric acid and acv worked the best. In hard, but not liquid rock hard, one or the other seems fine. I've heard some lucky folks in really soft water don't need a rinse at all! My water is so hard that the softener helps, but only by so much. The dishes look amazing though! I used to have to soak the glasses with vinegar now and then because they got "growth rings" of calcium build up.

[curlsgalore]

I just placed an order for some more CV bars as I was running low. I ordered the loofah bar as well and 2 facial bars. This is a first for the non shampoo bars. I hope they work out for me. As far as shampoo bars I ordered another Babassu Marshmallow (LOVE), honey butter (LOVE), olive and Babassu (new for me), and extra honey beer (new for me). I've been loving the babassu marshmallow one and my hair has always loved the honey butter one. As soon as I'm done with the piece I'm currently using, I'm Going to try the conditioner one...I forgot I had it. I had not been using my shampoo bars much until a few weeks ago. I forgot how well my hair responds to them. I don't do an ACV rinse every time, maybe once a week. I still use a little conditioner but not as much as I normally do when using a shampoo (non sulfate). Since I'm a curly I feel like my hair needs conditioner. I like applevalleynaturals shampoo bars too and would love to try their herbal ACV.

[Bruiser]

When I started with the bars I had the greasies too, I did a clarafying wash and I'm certain that it helped a lot, it took a little while overal for my hair to adjust a big part of that was finding finding the perfect acid ratio, but I think because my hair was damaged and used to being coated in cones it just took time to get over the shock of not being abused anymore, lol. Also when I started the only bars that really worked for me where the cleansing ones, summer sunshine and soapnuts. Now that my hair is adjusted and used to the bars it reacts the best to carrot milk and honey when a couple months ago it's went crazy on that bar, greasy roots and dry ends. My advice is clarify it may help, lather up really well with the bars at least twice and rinse really really well, longer than you think is needed. Try 1 tbsp acid and if it's greasy lower the amount and if it's dry add more.

[SeaPhoenix]

Try 1 tbsp acid and if it's greasy lower the amount and if it's dry add more.

This seemed to be the thing that had eluded me for a long time. I would keep upping the amount of vinegar and/or lemon juice with each greasy result, thinking it just needed a stronger rinse. I've tried shampoo bars off and on for several years, but am having some level of luck right now. Maybe because it's short - maybe because I finally figured out that acid rinses don't need a high concentration for me. . . or, maybe because something in my own chemistry has changed over the past few years. Or unicorns. But - whatever it is, yay.

[SkyChild]

Unicorns, lol.
Considering shampoo bars. I've been doing a bicarb-solution wash for about 4 months now and it should have settled down but still seems pretty horrible. The trouble is it really doesn't feel clean, my scalp and hair feel greasy and flaky and generally unpleasant (even if they look ok)
Anyone tried Lush bars? They're the only ones I can find nearby but if they're dreadful then I'll order online

[Bruiser]

I haven't tried the lush bars but I know they are loaded with SLS, the shampoo bars we are talking about here are more like soap and made from all natural ingredients :blossom:

[alexis917]

Is an ACV/acidic rinse...mandatory? I have soft water and my hair doesn't feel too waxy (haven't been ACV rinsing), just a little weighed down.
And I have no problem with that, my 1c hair can get pretty unruly. This honestly doesn't bother me.

[Artista]

Is an ACV/acidic rinse...mandatory? I have soft water and my hair doesn't feel too waxy (haven't been ACV rinsing), just a little weighed down.
And I have no problem with that, my 1c hair can get pretty unruly. This honestly doesn't bother me.

I never do a rinse after using CV shampoo. It does feel like there's residue but when it dries, my hair feels and looks thicker, which is what I need since I am thinning.

[SkyChild]

What's SLS?
Also, I thought the Lush ones were like soap and all natural ingredients! Oops. Should make a short thread called "Shampoo bars for dummies"
So what's the best ones then?

[alexis917]

What's SLS?
Also, I thought the Lush ones were like soap and all natural ingredients! Oops. Should make a short thread called "Shampoo bars for dummies"
So what's the best ones then?
SLS= probably refers to sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.
I like the coconut milk shampoo bar so far, but I have thick, coarse, 1c hair. Every hair type (and scalp!) is different, so take the characteristics of your own hair into account!

[Bruiser]

The ones we are talking about are from chagrin valley soap and salve
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com
If your interested I suggest buying a bunch of samples they are only 2.70 a pop and very generously sized, you can see all the ingredients on the website, aside from the lye (sodium hydroxide) used to turn it into soap everything in the ingredients list is natural and you can actually pronounce it :)

[Rushli]

I had a dream last night I was trying to decide which bar to try first... I might be a little obsessed.

[Bruiser]

I've had that dream! And now I own every chagrin valley shampoo bar except mud and clay (sounds unappealing to me) and have reordered spares of my favorites, none of my bars are even 1/3 done yet. :)

[fritillary]

Okay, update time:

I decided to try once more with the shampoo bars and vinegar rinse, then if I still had greasy roots I'd do a clarifying wash next time. So yesterday I washed with the ayurvedic shampoo bar and instead of lowering the amount of vinegar, I increased it. 1/4 cup to 16oz of water. That's the lowest ration Chagrin Valley suggests on their website, so I thought I'd try it. Previously I'd been using about 1tsp per 16oz of water.

Well, it's the day after I shampooed and so far my roots aren't greasy. The ends of my hair (which have chemical and heat damage anyway) were really dry and frizzy looking yesterday, but they've calmed down today. My aim is to wash every 4th or fifth day - So I'm trying to make it until Thursday, having washed Sunday. I know by Wednesday I'll probably be in a hat or a head wrap due to the greasies, though. If things look bad as early as tomorrow, though, I'm going to try a clarifying wash on Thursday, as I said. Then start all over again with the shampoo bars.

I noticed Bruiser said to decrease the amount of acid if I had the greasies, but so far increasing is what seems to be working. That's just from this one trial, though. My hair has always been a problem child, and right now it's half natural/dye free, and half covered in dye and kind of dry and damaged, so that probably only makes things more confusing. Mrr.

I will keep you updated though. Thank you so much for all the suggestions!

[Bruiser]

That's great you found a ratio that is working for you :) ! I have chemical dye damage from the jawline down and at first it was pretty crunchy and dry, I think it was like detoxing from sulphates and silicones, but over the last 6 months it's become so much softer and now it isn't crunchy at all and I get a great result every wash, super shiny and no frizz. I have however been very militant about SD and taken off a couple inches. I also find the auryvadic bar really drying maybe try a different bar?

[Artista]

I've had that dream! And now I own every chagrin valley shampoo bar except mud and clay (sounds unappealing to me) and have reordered spares of my favorites, none of my bars are even 1/3 done yet. :)

I stock up afraid my favs will go discontinued even though there is no sign they will be! I have the mud clay. It's one I would definitely say get a sample because it is different than the others. This is good for oily hair imo. While it cleans the scalp nicely, it leaves my hair needing conditioner afterwards, and I don't use any conditioner with the other poo bars. We'll see in the summer when hair/scalp can get dirtier and oilier than it does now.

[Rushli]

I noticed Bruiser said to decrease the amount of acid if I had the greasies, but so far increasing is what seems to be working. That's just from this one trial, though.

When i first tried BS and AVC rinse, the site I used said the same as bruiser. After reading this thread, I decided to try it again only increasing it since others where using much more than I was. It worked for me! I went from 1 tsp to 4oz water (still stronger than your starting point) to 1 TBS to 4oz (same as yours.)


I've had that dream! And now I own every chagrin valley shampoo bar except mud and clay (sounds unappealing to me) and have reordered spares of my favorites, none of my bars are even 1/3 done yet.

... I have not even gotten this order, but I have the next one planned already... and lists for 2 more companies I want to try. I am a collector by nature so these bars are horrible temptations! Especially since I saw a post where someone used a back of the door shoe organizer to keep track of their bars.

[Snorman]

Okay, yesterday I made my own shampoo bar, my first (haven't used bars at all before, either!).
I used castor oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, sesame oil and SAO (and water and lye).
Now, can you use this to wash out an oil treatment?
It feels as you would just be putting more oil on you scalp?
I wanted to use my new bar tomorrow morning, but I also wanted to do a castor oil treatment over the night.
Don't wanna come to work all greasy and gross...

And, if this doesn't work, say that it's making my hair look greasy, what do I need to change for my next batch?
Or if my hair comes out all waxy? Dry?

[SkyChild]

Thanks Bruiser for posting the website. I tried with my Lush bar today because well, I've bought them now so I'm going to use them, but will make better hair choices in future XD

[oatmealpie]

Okay, yesterday I made my own shampoo bar, my first (haven't used bars at all before, either!).
I used castor oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, sesame oil and SAO (and water and lye).
Now, can you use this to wash out an oil treatment?
It feels as you would just be putting more oil on you scalp?
I wanted to use my new bar tomorrow morning, but I also wanted to do a castor oil treatment over the night.
Don't wanna come to work all greasy and gross...

And, if this doesn't work, say that it's making my hair look greasy, what do I need to change for my next batch?
Or if my hair comes out all waxy? Dry?

You could try it, but generally conditioner gets oil out of hair better than a shampoo bar or shampoo.

[Neecola]

Thanks so much for the reply, Neecola! If anyone would have a problem with them it would be me. I've been battling my hair for as long as I can remember. It's always something. But now especially since I've not only broken up with traditional shampoos, silicones, and sulfates, but I've stopped dyeing it too. There's gonna be a learning curve, I guess.

I do get my fingers really close to the scalp. I try to concentrate most of the lather there, but it's hard since my hair isn't too long to begin with. Just chin length. Can I ask how many times you "shampoo" with the bar when you're in the shower? Just once or a couple times?

So yeah, tomorrow is a wash day - I've had my hair pinned back all day because it's a greaseball - and I'm going to try and up my dilution to 1/4 cup of vinegar to 16 ounces of water. That's the weakest solution recommended on CV's website. I wonder if it might be better to rinse or leave it in. I'll definitely keep trying things because I really want to love these shampoo bars!

Hiya fritillary. Glad to see you've had some success with increasing the ACV ratio! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner (I tend to "unplug" on the weekends). In response to your question, when I first switched over, I had the best results with 2 lathers. Now that my hair has adjusted, one lather is all I need. Hope your experimenting continues to be successful.

Also, I love how active this thread has been! :cheer:

[Snorman]

I tried my homemade shampoo bar this morning!
But I didn't have the castor oil in as I planned. I just really needed my hair to look good today, after 3 days of a greasy mess...
Anyway, the bar worked perfectly! My hair is clean, shiny and supersoft!
Though, I did use a conditioner on my lenghts, cause while in the shower they felt really tangly.

Definetly going to keep make my own! :)

[Bruiser]

That's awesome snorman! I've been looking into soapmaking myself I would love to be able to make my own bars

[Rushli]

THERE ARE HERE! Its a good thing I have been reading this thread and have a method for which ones to try first or I might have troubles deciding. I am going with summer sunshine first as it is the most cleansing and work my way to more moisturizing. I do have rather dry hair, but it seems most people who started with this one did not have build up issues. I will be using some of my lb of carrot, milk and honey scraps for my body. :D Now if my 6 week old will give me the chance to shower tonight before I pass out from exhaustion....:p

ETA: If anyone is wondering about sizing...
Top: nylon 'soap on a rope' sack in cream and a white oak soap deck
Bottom: 1 lb scrap sack of carrots, milk and honey, and a 1oz sample Auburn Henna, 1.5oz sample of honey, beer and egg and 7oz bar of cederwood and lavender
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8998&d=1391112457

[Artista]

Nice! The scrap sacks are a steal! I just got my honey beer egg one. I love CV. Great customer service too! I love giving my money to small family businesses and am glad their products are so awesome that I can continue to do so for them.

[curlsgalore]

I just received my order! I could smell the soaps when I opened my mailbox. :p
They ship pretty fast. I can't wait to try the ones I've not tried before. I forgot what a nice size CV bars are!! My other bars are usually smaller, so these are definitely worth it. Off to try a couple bars :)…

[Rushli]

Summer Sunshine with ACV rinse (1c water, 1.5 Tbs ACV, 1tsp honey and lavender and rosemary essential oils) worked well for me. It lathered very easily. The smell did not last once my hair dried.

I did slightly oil my length while wet but it is much softer than it has been these past few months and I was oiling then as well. The ends are not perfect, but not as dry as before. My hair is frizzy, but not the dry frizzy it has been. My hair does have more volume than it has been this past week with BS wash, but not really more than with my old shampoo. Roots are a bit flat but not greasy or waxy. The odd thing is that the underside of my hair that normally is mostly straight is wavy and my wavy front went mostly straight.

Now about 7 hours later, my hair is starting to get staticy and it really is only now that the tips are starting to feel dry. I know I should wait another day, but I think I want to try another one tomorrow! (and I am usually only a 2x a week washer!)

Oh and my skin felt super soft after using carrot, milk and honey, though it is starting to dry up again. :/ does not surprise me though. Everything is dry right now!

How did it go with your bars Curlsgalore? What one did you use?

[curlsgalore]

How did it go with your bars Curlsgalore? What one did you use?

The only new one I used was the loofah one for now as I'm trying to finish up the piece I'm currently using (babassu marshmallow). It felt great on my heels and elbows. Next I will try a facial one and the conditioner bar.

[Rushli]

My hair got really staticy so I tried Ayurvedic Herb today. I prefer Summer Sunshine so far. I am also making a blog post with more details on each bar and how it reacts to my hair. (so exciting, I know) As soon as I can evaluate my dry hair I will have it up.

[SeaPhoenix]

About a week now on shampoo bars again (I wash daily) - using chamomile & citrus CV bar, with a follow up mix of their blonde tea rinse and a cap full of ACV in a glass. Lathered twice, rinse, pour half the glass over my hair. Do other shower stuff, and pour the other half over it. I don't rinse out the mixture - just leave it in my hair. Hair is super soft and silky - and no more itching or tight feeling on the scalp. Plus, I can see a little bit of my roots coming in, and it looks a pretty golden light-ish brown, that could probably easily edge into a dark blonde either with honey - or just given enough time to grow out and lighten from exposure (if I decide to grow hair out again).

I don't need any conventional conditioner anymore - and this is the first time that's happened. I think the trick is leaving the tea/acv rinse in my hair. In the past when I rinsed out ACV, I always needed to follow up with conditioner.

[millyaulait]

Just used my first shampoo bar today! I gave Anita Grant's Babassu & Amla a try. I have a lot of samples to try from various brands so I just picked this one at random.

Waiting for my hair to dry now, I made sure to use a good ACV rinse too. I'm excited to see how it turns out and if it actually cleaned my hair effectively. It did pull a lot of dye out (which I'm totally fine with) so I'm assuming it at least worked to some degree. :)

[Loviatar]

Millyaulait, now I know you're a UK person, what's your water like? I've never tried Anita Grant, but London water is so hard that my CV bars need a pretty strong rinse.

I always find that unless I'm using henna, bars pull out a ton of dye. I lost almost all my new red colour a couple of years ago in one wash. They're so very alkaline, and a lot of dyes (especially deposit dyes like SFX, Manic Panic) like acidic environments. Loving bars is the reason I've never dared try the 'keep-me-acid-please!' dye that is Elumen.

[millyaulait]

My water is soft but I used a strong mix anyway since my hair seems to love acid, but after trying this bar I feel like some of my hair is clean and other parts are soft but left with a definite residue. I think maybe I just need to focus on getting more suds on the length rather than just the scalp area. Hmm.

I may have to be careful with these though... I didn't realise quite how much dye it stripped off until it dried. I've basically gone from almost-black red to dark reddish brown in one wash, which is... um... quite impressive considering I use permanent dyes.. It's a good thing I wanted to remove it a little, I like the result anyway! :laugh:

[Loviatar]

Lathering the length was something I didn't know about to begin with either. But it helps a lot. I lather the bar over my scalp directly, then run my fingers through the length, gently rubbing the soap through. I got that tip from Calista who wrote the 'how to enjoy a shampoo bar' article. If I don't lather the length, I get slight residue/waxies.

[Aderyn]

Been using shampoo bars since May of 2013 and it's been a lovely journey. For reference, I've never used a vinegar rinse, just the shampoo bar. No conditioner, no heat, no styling products, no coloring, 100% virgin hair, etc. Prior to using a shampoo bar, I used a non-sulfate, gentle shampoo and conditioner (Acure Organics - Moroccan Argab oil and + Argan Stem Cell) and I had just cut off ~4 inches of my hair at the time (wanted to start growing out my hair with a "fresh" hemline - so the damage had been removed). My hair was just barely BSL at that time. Once or twice a week I'll put a little bit of coconut oil on the ends of my hair. Very rarely I'll use a little bit of coconut oil on the whole length of my hair before shampooing. The water around here is quite soft. Light finger-combing every day, more thorough detangling with a brush every week or two. I shampoo my hair about twice a week.

I started off with J.R. Liggets original shampoo bar and that was a disaster.. it left my hair so painfully dry and crunchy, especially the ends. After a couple weeks of this, I switched to a shampoo bar from Green Kimono on Etsy and immediately, my hair was instantly feeling nicer. I think the J.R. Liggett's disaster was primarily just my hair not liking that particular shampoo bar, rather than being primarily an "adjustment period" that many people's scalps have to go through. My hair never felt gunky from the get go and my scalp was fine, as I see a lot of people remark about, especially since the instant I switched shampoo bars the issue was resolved. I might have also used a little bit too much shampoo from the J.R. Liggett's bar which probably didn't help Though I've used the same amount, if not more during a wash with later shampoo bars I've tried with no ill effects, perhaps the formula of the previous just doesn't bode well with using a lot of it. I kind of want to try the J.R. Liggett's shampoo bar again, though, to see if that really is the case and if it will still dry my hair out as it did before.. but I think I'll pass.

After the one from Green Kimono ran out, I tried another Etsy shampoo bar, this time from Sweet Creek Herbal Care and my hair was just lovely using that one as well. I then used a shampoo bar from Prarieland Herbs and that was lovely as well.

Recently, I decided to use a more moisturizing and conditioner shampoo bar from CV (carrot milk and honey) and my hair feels even more moisturized and smoother than it has with the previous shampoo bars (not that the previous ones were bad, by any means). I'm really liking the way my hair feels with this one (not as squeaky clean and I think when I purchase more shampoo bars in the future (after I get through my current stash :) ) I will look into the more conditioning ones as I love how soft it makes my hair.

I have also just ordered a Henna Chestnut shampoo bar from CV as I'm eager to see how the coloring of my hair may be affected by that. If it'll be a tiny bit darker, whether I'll see some highlights come out, etc.

As an aside, I am pleased with how little I am spending on shampoo bars compared to bottled shampoo and conditioner. For the former, I spend maybe an average of $3-4 a month, and with the latter that would be more like $20 dollars a month (due in large part to my being rather picky about the shampoo/conditioner I used before)

[ExpectoPatronum]

Well...I'm jumping on the soap bar train. I haven't tried it yet (I will tomorrow) but I think regular shampoo is causing some issues I've been having skin-wise.

First of all, my scalp has been itchy and flakey as of late. I used head and shoulders and while that helped, it dries out my hair. Also, for years now, my back will be covered in red splotches and even some hives. It's not from soap since it happens even if I don't use it. It was really really bad today....which also happened to be a day I shampooed twice. Hmm...Maybe there's a connection?

I was at the local grocery store looking through their body care stuff, which is all natural and organic since it's a health food store, when I saw a Neem oil shampoo bar. Another woman came up and picked up two of them. We got to talking and she asked if I had a problem with itchy scalp or dandruff. I answered yes and she told me the shampoo bar was the way to go for solving that problem. Her hair looked very nice, by the way. It was a lovely back color, a little above BSL and very shiny and healthy looking. The look on her face told me that she swore by the two bars she grabbed, so I grabbed one too to try. I'll report back tomorrow after I shower. For tonight, I'm going to read up on how to use this thing. :)

I like what I see on the ingredients list. Olive, coconut, castor, neem, avocado, and shea butter oils. Scented with tea tree oil and peppermint oil (It smells really good!). It's also vegan and its gluten-free. My skin has been doing extremely well with 100% natural things so maybe my hair will follow suit.

ETA: I did my first wash today. So far, I kind of like it. I washed twice as seems to be the magic number for a lot of people and it seems to be fine for me. I will admit I do NOT like how my hair feels as I'm rinsing. If you've ever used an alkaline scrub on your hands, that's exactly how my hair felt...which makes sense since shampoo bars are alkaline. It made me worry because I really want this to work out. But never fear, my hair felt much better once I did the ACV rinse (thank god!). I used a dilution of one and a half cap fulls to one coffee mug of water (so precise, right? lol) and that seemed to work very well. I might do two full caps next time just to see. I then put a tiny bit of my favorite conditioner on my ends. I watered it down first and let it sit while I did the rest of my showerly duties. I rinsed it out and got out the shower.

Now my hair is drying. It feels way different than when I use liquid shampoo. It's not bad at all, just different. I ended up applying a tiny bit of oil to my ends, which actually absorbed into my hair and so they now feel very soft. That NEVER happens. I also added a liiiiittle bit of my cone-y serum because my hair had absolutely no slip. It's sitting in two braids right now and I have to admit. It looks and feels....not bad. Again, it's a different feel but it's not a bad feel at all. I think this can work. I'm eager to see how it looks dry.

ETA one more time lol: I forgot to mention a couple things.
1. My hair was a little tangly when I went to comb it out. However, the fact I lost maybe one hair while detangling makes up for it. Usually running a comb through my hair would result in a few hairs coming out each time, despite there not really being any tangles.
2. The shedding in the shower was also less. Maybe 10 hairs. But I did just wash my hair yesterday, so that could be it.

[Lady Danger]

Well hello! I haven't posted on this thread in ages (or, actually, LHC in general.) I don't have any recollection as to why I stopped using my 'poo bars in the first place back in 2010. I re-read my posts here, and don't even remember the experience other than remembering when I had too-greasy hair. It's odd. Anyway, I haven't been too happy with my routine lately (non-SLS organic shampoos in rotation) and also did a major chop from mid-back to shoulder-length last spring, which I have been happy with. I was on my Etsy feed and saw bars from SCH and remembered enjoying the scents. I figured since my hair was now shorter, maybe I'd give them another try. Ordered Beer Orange n Honey, Vegan Palmarosa Petitgrain, and Vegan Apple Cider Vinegar. Kathleen included a Vegan Lime Eucalyptus sample as well.

Tried them for 3 days in a row without a rinse (figuring city water is soft) but got serious waxies after day 3. Clarified with regular shampoo (during which time I also got a trim) and did henna on my roots. I've never liked just-conditioner to remove henna, nor shampoo (felt too harsh.) So I threw caution to the wind and after CO-soaking the henna out, I washed with the Beer Orange n Honey and used an ACV rinse. I could tell almost immediately that I was going to love it. WOW - hair was soft and shiny, fresh henna, no dryness where I had henna-ed.

I've now used all three bars (plus the sample) in rotation, and I am loving them. Had to get my ACV rinse adjusted perfectly, but once I did (1 TBS to 32 oz water), I got "the hair" I've read described in the thread so often! Soft, shiny, and the best of all, I was able to skip washing the following day and my hair looked good. Seriously, my hair is so oily that this is a revelation.

Of course, that meant now I just had to re-try CV! Bought a ton of samples...they're in the bathroom so I won't list all (lazy!), but mainly ones I thought would work for oily hair, plus a few mild ones like Coconut Milk. So far I've tried two: Lavender Spice and Summer Sunshine. Using the same conditions as SCH, I'm liking them just a little less: Lavender Spice made my hair smell divine, but it was greasy by the next day (and a little limp day 1); Summer Sunshine is looking better day 2 than on day 1. I'm going to keep trying the samples, but I have a suspicion SCH is going to wind up being the bars for me.

Either way, I'm so excited. My scalp isn't itching and it isn't feeling "plugged" for lack of a better term. Usually the day after a shampoo, I would feel gunk on my scalp from perspiring, but with the bars there is no gunk, just normal oil.

[Neecola]

Welcome back, Lady Danger! Thanks for providing your experiences. I've heard so many wonderful things about SCH and I really would like to try some of their bars someday.

[KittyBird]

Beer Orange 'n Honey is one of my favourites from SCH! I prefer SCH over Chagrin Valley nowadays, to be honest.. CV has good products, but SCH is just better. :o And they also have those nice package deals, so I get 5 bars of shampoo and save little bit of money + the packages always contain plenty of samples. I think I got 5 tiny soaps last time!

[cooklaezo13]

I had to take a break (maybe temporary, maybe not) from using shampoo bars. My hair started to feel way to dry. I tried clarifying, but it didn't help. I think it's from the winter. I went back to sulfate-free shampoo, and my hair is better now. I've also been doing some curly-girl wash experiments.

[Lady Danger]

Just washed with CV Soapnuts (regular, not Citrus.) Rave! My hair looks soft, shiny, and not greasy or limp; this is as good as all the SCH I've been loving and will be a definite full-size purchase.

The other very surprising thing I'm starting to notice: a possible slight wave to my hair?!

[Chromis]

I have a new shampoo bar love! Beauty and the Bees from Tasmania. I got a sample pack in the winter swap and oh, I am smitten! I'm going to have to see if they will ship to Canada. The bars are more expensive than the CV bars, but it looks like the shipping would be much less. (CV shipping to Canada was insane last I checked. Luckily visiting family brought me some up as a gift, which will last me a while.)

[Artista]

Just washed with CV Soapnuts (regular, not Citrus.) Rave! My hair looks soft, shiny, and not greasy or limp; this is as good as all the SCH I've been loving and will be a definite full-size purchase.

The other very surprising thing I'm starting to notice: a possible slight wave to my hair?!

Soapnuts is one of my favs. I have dermatitis on my scalp and this lathers fantastic and my hair is so soft and shiny! It doesn't bother my condition. Another current fav is neem and tea tree oil. This is good for scalp problems like mine. I cannot stand the smell of ACV. It always stays in my hair forever! I've been using Miessence Clarifying Rinse which has ACV in it and other herbs good for your scalp and hair. The lemon in it kills the stinking ACV thankfully. You just add a cup of water to a tbsp of this. I don't rinse it out. I find it really helps my scalp and my hair is even shinier!

[bekstamonkey]

Okay, yesterday I made my own shampoo bar, my first (haven't used bars at all before, either!).
I used castor oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, sesame oil and SAO (and water and lye).
Now, can you use this to wash out an oil treatment?
It feels as you would just be putting more oil on you scalp?
I wanted to use my new bar tomorrow morning, but I also wanted to do a castor oil treatment over the night.
Don't wanna come to work all greasy and gross...

And, if this doesn't work, say that it's making my hair look greasy, what do I need to change for my next batch?
Or if my hair comes out all waxy? Dry?

Congrats on your first batch of shampoo bars! I'm a soaper, and use my own shampoo bars, and have never had a problem washing out heavy oilings; I suspect only shampoo bars with a rather high superfat might have difficulty in washing out an oil treatment (or perhaps a castille that hasn't had long enough cure time to lose that slimy feel). How are your bars going long term? Sounds like a great assortment of oils in your recipe...have you tried other liquids? I use beer in mine instead of water, makes so many bubbles! :D

[Neecola]

I've also jumped on the soap bandwagon and just made my first batch of shampoo bars. I'm terribly impatient to try them out, but I still have weeks of curing ahead of me.

[Lady Danger]

Soapnuts is one of my favs. I have dermatitis on my scalp and this lathers fantastic and my hair is so soft and shiny! It doesn't bother my condition. Another current fav is neem and tea tree oil. This is good for scalp problems like mine.

That's one of the other ones I ordered. Can't wait to try. Slept on my hair last night, normally a grease-inducing nightmare, and instead it still looks nice and full.

[bekstamonkey]

I've also jumped on the soap bandwagon and just made my first batch of shampoo bars. I'm terribly impatient to try them out, but I still have weeks of curing ahead of me.

The annoying thing about CP'ing :) I suspect Snorman must have HP'ed her batch to have used them the next day. You know, long as saponification has occurred, the bars are safe to use...they'll just be soft (the liquid not having completed evaporation), so won't last as long, but if you have an end piece or something, you could try a wash and see how it goes. Just make sure to either Ph or Zap test first to make sure your batch isn't lye heavy (my recipes are always gelled, so saponification is quick...no gel = could be up to a week I've been told before?).

[Artista]

That's one of the other ones I ordered. Can't wait to try. Slept on my hair last night, normally a grease-inducing nightmare, and instead it still looks nice and full.

I also use neem tree oil poo bar on my face. They say I have seborrheic dermatitis but I don't have the amount of oil people with this have. Mine is painful scalp from time to time, very scaly dandruff in eyebrows that is like glued in there, and redness with the occasional itch. I've also started using ACV rinse after because of all the hype that acv is anti fungal properties and cleans out the scalp. I cannot stand the smell of acv so I get Miessence Clarifying Rinse and leave this mixture in my hair/scalp. The smell of this is like lemony so and hardly any acv so I can handle it. I don't dump a cup on my head as it's wasteful imo. I mix up a cup and fill up an applicator bottle. I then apply to my scalp and the drips go to the ends. Towel dry and let it air dry. So far it's working well for my condition, which is some sort of dermatitis/eczema type of thing.

[Rushli]

Arista - I use an applicator bottle for my (AVC) rinse too. I use an entire Cup, but could get away with MUCH less. when I started I dunked my tips and then pored it over, I always had to use a bowl catch it and poor again.

I have since tried the henna auburn poo bar 2x and my hair loves it! Not sure if it has changed the color yet. In a couple days, when DH is back home, I will get him to take a picture in the same lighting as the one he took right before and compare. I had the most and best curls with that bar as of yet. Hoping the more moisture will be helpful in bringing out the curls I tried the Babassu Marsh Mallow tonight. The curls with the henna bar even sort of lasted after sleeping. I have NEVER had curls last like that even when using lots of product.

[ExpectoPatronum]

It's been a few days and my hair is still loving the shampoo bar. I can feel it getting softer every time I wash it. That sticky feeling still irks me, until I do my ACV rinse anyway. This last wash I didn't use any conventional products on my hair at all. Just my shampoo bar, my ACV rinse, rosemary tea as a leave-in and a tiny bit of avocado oil. My hair looks so much better than it ever did when I was using a ton of products.

I want to try the soap lady's 'poo bars when I'm done with the one I currently have. She has a sampler for $12 and shipping isn't bad at all. While the bar I have is working fine, I want to see what else is out there. Plus, the full size of the soap lady's are a little bigger and $3 less. :D

[Neecola]

The annoying thing about CP'ing :) I suspect Snorman must have HP'ed her batch to have used them the next day. You know, long as saponification has occurred, the bars are safe to use...they'll just be soft (the liquid not having completed evaporation), so won't last as long, but if you have an end piece or something, you could try a wash and see how it goes. Just make sure to either Ph or Zap test first to make sure your batch isn't lye heavy (my recipes are always gelled, so saponification is quick...no gel = could be up to a week I've been told before?).

Thanks bestamonkey! Mine did not gel, despite me insulating it. I have some scraps from clean-up and I did try to use it to wash my hands but there wasn't much lather yet. Also, I have since been told that the 30% coconut oil I used might be too high and drying, so I'm probably better off waiting as long as possible. Do you mind sharing what percent CO you use for shampoo bars?

[bekstamonkey]

Thanks bestamonkey! Mine did not gel, despite me insulating it. I have some scraps from clean-up and I did try to use it to wash my hands but there wasn't much lather yet. Also, I have since been told that the 30% coconut oil I used might be too high and drying, so I'm probably better off waiting as long as possible. Do you mind sharing what percent CO you use for shampoo bars?

It's hot enough here at the moment I don't even need to insulate :p

30% is ok if you've got other conditioning oils...and superfatting can also affect whether CO results in a drying bar or not. I make salt bars, and it's 80% coconut oil (with 15% shea butter and 5% castor), with a superfat of 20%, not drying at all...even with 60% oil weight of salt added at trace! I actually use 28% coconut oil in my shampoo bars, but the high number seems to be offset by the other oils/butters...so there's no drying-out of hair.

[Snorman]

Okay a question for all of you..
I used my bar today, and my hair felt a bit sticky. I had to use conditioner after to get that soft feeling.
Does every bar do this? Or is this maybe because it's not right for my hair?
Do you use ACV-rinse after?

[Loviatar]

Snorman I noticed in another thread you said you were going to London - we have ridiculously hard water here and I have to use an acid rinse after I wash. I use 1 tbsp citric acid in 1 litre water. HTH

[Bruiser]

Snorman did you let your hair dry after using the bar before you tried conditioner, I always get the weird sticky hair after I use a bar and even after a ACV rinse it feels gross until it dries then it's lovely. I suggest trying just the bar and a mild acid rinse let it dry fully then go from there.

[Lady Danger]

An update: I started noticing my hair was getting buildup with the CV bars. It wasn't terrible; just a bit limp and lank looking (and different from the "too much ACV" look.) I'm not sure if they're specifically the culprit, but each shampoo my hair was looking more waxy and feeling coated, even with the same ratio ACV rinse that had been successful. I switched back to a SCH bar, but it was still waxy, so today I shampooed with a little SLS and then used my SCH Beer Orange 'n' Honey. Hair looks and feels great. I'll hold off on the CV bars for the next week, and only use SCH to see if it's just general wax buildup, or CV-specific. Not about to give up on the bars as a whole, though!

[Jumper]

So I got my first CV samples I ordered today. I picked three that are supposed to be good for dry hair - babassu marshmallow, butter conditioning shampoo, and the clay one.

First impression: that babassu marshmallow may be a miracle hair cure for my hair and I will never know it because I can't stand the smell. I could smell it without opening the box. I used it to wash my hands just to spot test it and sneezed all afternoon while at work. No reaction on my skin so maybe it's just a fluke but for now I've stuck it in the closet to see if it can give it a pleasant smell (the closet, not the bar... If the bar didn't smell so strong it would be a pleasant smell. I am very sensitive to scented things, more than most people). I will probably give it away.

So that ones out.

The butter and clay bars are still candidates though.

So I used the butter bar tonight. Run over hair, lather, rinse... While lathering it a bit I ran my fingers through it to detangle it and all was good - fingers slipped through easily, felt nice, no strong smell... Started rinsing and went to run my hand over my hair and I about had a heart attack because both my hand and my hair were so dry feeling that I could not run my hand over my head. I put my hand to my hair and it just stuck there.


I was all "OH PLEASE DONT LET ME HAVE DESTROYED MY HAIR IN TEN MINUTES."

After recovering from the shock I went ahead and repeated it (I'm deterimined to give this a good go as long as my hair doesn't fall out of my head or start to break off from damage).

Same results, rinsed for awhile, did ACV rinse (restored the slippyness to my hair thank goodness) and left the acv on my hair while I washed and rinsed my body, then rinsed it out.

I am dying to know what it will look like when it dries... I have this terrible feeling it will either be glorious or a complete disaster.

Yes, I'm just sitting here with it wet. You regular users of shampoo bars can have a good chuckle at my expense. I thought I destroyed my hair. I am curious to give the silicone/sulfate free thing a good try though so I will probably order more samples even if these two aren't the greatest for my hair.

[millyaulait]

I hope it works out for you, Jumper!

I'm going to try a new bar today, hopefully it banishes the slight build-up/waxy residue I have going on.

[Jumper]

It did! My hair is sooooo soft. It's not as shiny but I guess that makes sense with no cones to make it super shiny. It was pretty easy to comb through.

I think I'll keep using this sample for awhile to see how it keeps working.

And the babassu marshmallows gotta leave the house. I could smell it faintly still from the closet I put it in.

[millyaulait]

Mine didn't go so well. I used AromaVille's Neem, Amla & Shikakai bar. It didn't lather as easily as the Anita Grant one I've tried. It did feel like it had cleaned my hair better than AG, but in turn it really dried my hair out and also somehow made it very grabby, but when it dried my hair still looked dirty and coated just like with the other bars. I'm disappointed.

My SO is visiting next week so I'll have to just use some of my usual shampoo instead, then try again after he's gone. I don't know if bars are for me, but I really want them to work! I guess if the next round gives the same result I'll have to give up on them.

[Kimberly]

You regular users of shampoo bars can have a good chuckle at my expense. I thought I destroyed my hair. I am curious to give the silicone/sulfate free thing a good try though so I will probably order more samples even if these two aren't the greatest for my hair.

I had the same reaction the first time I used a shampoo bar, but I ended up very happy with them. I hope your results continue to be good!

I didn't like the barbassu marshmallow, either, but not because of the smell -- it was the snotty texture that put me off. I'm sticking with my honey, beer, & egg!

[Chromis]

I'll be happy to buy any unloved babassu marshmallow bars! The marshmallow, nettle and Cafe Moreno bars are my absolute favourite CV bars. (I actually really like that snotty texture, haha!)

The honey, beer, and egg bar and the clay bar do not work for me at all, so they are probably a good choices for those who didn't get on well with my favourites. (My hair also likes CV better than SCH or PLH although all of them are still better than conventional shampoo/conditioner for me)

[Kimberly]

Chromis, can totally imagine how much better the babassu marshmallow would work for someone with your hair type! :) In my case, it took out the curl.

[Chromis]

Ah gotcha!

I am pretty sure any wave I have at all is really just very stubborn braid waves from braiding it every night. I had very little wave before I joined LHC (but a lot more tangles!) :lol:

[Jumper]

It's a sample size, I'll send it to you for free if you PM me a mailing address. Id hate to throw it away and waste it, but I don't want to use it.

Although I don't know that my account has PM privileges with so few posts.

But I'll happily stick it in an envelope and into the mail.

[Snorman]

Snorman did you let your hair dry after using the bar before you tried conditioner, I always get the weird sticky hair after I use a bar and even after a ACV rinse it feels gross until it dries then it's lovely. I suggest trying just the bar and a mild acid rinse let it dry fully then go from there.

I didn't actually... But today I only used an ACV rinse after and that feels awesome :) No more conditioner in my house! All natural here :D Love it!

[Chromis]

It's a sample size, I'll send it to you for free if you PM me a mailing address. Id hate to throw it away and waste it, but I don't want to use it.

Although I don't know that my account has PM privileges with so few posts.

But I'll happily stick it in an envelope and into the mail.

I can't pm you yet, but you will be there before you know it :cheer:

[Kimberly]

I didn't actually... But today I only used an ACV rinse after and that feels awesome :) No more conditioner in my house! All natural here :D Love it!

Doesn't it feel great to be able to skip conditioner? Makes me feel like a Secret Mistress of Hair Wisdom or something, as if I have seen through some kind of marketing trickery to the truth of my hair. I know that isn't completely right -- that conditioner is just the thing for a lot of people. But after all the years and dollars I spent on conditioners that usually made my hair worse, every time I rinse the ACV and my hair suddenly goes silky and perfect I kinda do a little shuffling happy dance in the shower.

[Bruiser]

Just curious if anyone has had success using cones with shampoo bars? My hair was feeling a little dry so I decided to condition before shampooing with my CV bar, my hair came out soooo silky I couldn't believe it! So I did the same thing again with the following wash with the same glorious results, but then I noticed the conditioner I used contained dimethicone, my hair loves cones clearly but I'm wondering if anyone has been able to use cones and shampoo bars successfully together without eventually having issues?

[sumidha]

Bruiser, it probably depends on the specific cones, but I've used a super silicone-y leave in a couple times with shampoo bars, and didn't have any trouble washing it out. However, I have no idea if regular use would cause build up or not... Only one way to find out. :)

[Jumper]

I think I have been overly generous with the amount of ACV I have been mixing up for a rinse... I'm on a short vacation and it involves sharing a hotel room with family, so even though I could use my shampoo bar I don't really want to explain why there would be vinegar in the bathroom...

So anyway, I brought my regular shampoo (let's face it, I've used a shampoo bar once so using regular shampoo wouldn't really be a tragedy) but just used water only on my hair tonight and now that I'm sitting here with it drying, I can definitely smell some ACV still.

Learning curve, learning curve.

[ExpectoPatronum]

Just popping back in here for an update. I bought a different bar from the same local place. This one is rosemary nettle and I do like it.

My problem is that I'm going through them so quickly! I don't know if the bar is just prone to melting a lot, if I'm using too much, or what. I'll probably be through a whole bar in 2-3 weeks. I do not let it sit in the shower once I'm done shampooing my hair. I actually keep the bars in my room so not even the moisture from my roommate taking a shower will get to them. I also cut them in half. I've used one half three times and it's already half of what it was.

How long do you guys get out of a bar and how often do you wash your hair? Also what brand are you using? I wash mine every other day and, though I love shampoo bars, I'm also a broke college student and can't really afford to make these a regular monthly or bimonthly purchase....Not when I can buy a bottle of shampoo for the same price (or less!) and have it last me 3-4 months.

The bars I get: http://camamusoap.com/products-page/shampoo-people-pets/

They're available locally in my stores with comparable prices to their online ones. It's really nice to not have to pay shipping though :)

[ExpectoPatronum]

Double post...thanks to a poor internet connection :D

[Snorman]

Doesn't it feel great to be able to skip conditioner? Makes me feel like a Secret Mistress of Hair Wisdom or something, as if I have seen through some kind of marketing trickery to the truth of my hair. I know that isn't completely right -- that conditioner is just the thing for a lot of people. But after all the years and dollars I spent on conditioners that usually made my hair worse, every time I rinse the ACV and my hair suddenly goes silky and perfect I kinda do a little shuffling happy dance in the shower.

Right?! It feels awesome. And now, everytime someone tells me their hair is not as soft as is once was, I can share my wisdom, and they think I'm a hair wizard! Love it! :D

[Chromis]

Just popping back in here for an update. I bought a different bar from the same local place. This one is rosemary nettle and I do like it.

My problem is that I'm going through them so quickly! I don't know if the bar is just prone to melting a lot, if I'm using too much, or what. I'll probably be through a whole bar in 2-3 weeks. I do not let it sit in the shower once I'm done shampooing my hair. I actually keep the bars in my room so not even the moisture from my roommate taking a shower will get to them. I also cut them in half. I've used one half three times and it's already half of what it was.

How long do you guys get out of a bar and how often do you wash your hair? Also what brand are you using? I wash mine every other day and, though I love shampoo bars, I'm also a broke college student and can't really afford to make these a regular monthly or bimonthly purchase....Not when I can buy a bottle of shampoo for the same price (or less!) and have it last me 3-4 months.

The bars I get: http://camamusoap.com/products-page/shampoo-people-pets/

They're available locally in my stores with comparable prices to their online ones. It's really nice to not have to pay shipping though :)

Hmmm, you are already doing the first thing I would have suggested! I only have one bar out at a time and it lives on a slatted soap dish on the other side of the shower curtain at the far end of my tub. I don't wash my hair so often though. Mine turns to straw with daily washing. I wash once a week, maybe twice in summer and rarely three times. (I use a shower cap otherwise.) My bars normally last for months. Actually I can measure this!

I got this swap from bestamonkey on November 2, 2012:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8391694299_3cdafbb03d.jpg
Reposting swap pic so you can see the size of the bars for better comparison. I just used the second bar up around the beginning of January and I started using them my very next wash.

Also, I think the is something in the water there. Bestamonkey's bars have been the very nicest I have used and I just got some lovely bars from Tasmania too which I also really, really like: http://www.beebeauty.com/natural-soap-shampoo-bars which our Southern hemisphere friends might be interested in. They also have a US site, but in Canada I would still have to ship from Aus. Ah shipping...bane of mail order!

[ExpectoPatronum]

Hm...Those do look a bit bigger than the ones I've bought. Mine are 4oz and I've noticed a lot of websites sell theirs being 5-5.5 oz. I suppose I could also use this as motivation to try stretching my washes. Just stretching more than every other day never worked well for me in the past. Then again, I had always wore my hair down. It might work now that I keep it in a braid most of the time.

I'll be adding that website to my ever growing list of sites to purchase bars from :D. I kind of can't wait until the farmer's market opens up here again. There was a woman who sold homemade soaps. I'd like to see if she sold shampoo bars. They might be better formulated for the water here.

[Myrddin]

@expectopatronum (great name, but I am a Harry Potter fan) My thought was that maybe the shampoo bars you are using are quite "young". The fresher the soap, the faster it will be used up. I had some soap and left it in my cupboard. After 3 weeks there has been already a difference and after 6 months the soap got even harder and lasts longer.

Have you tried the shampoo bars from sweet creek herbs yet? They are also more on the harder side and there are great package deals. So this might be a more affordable option for you. Here ist the link to the shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetcreekherbalsoap

[sumidha]

That does strike me as more on the expensive side for a shampoo bar, expectopatronum, the CV bars are almost twice the volume, for the same price. I haven't had issues with them going quickly, but I only wash my hair like once a week and don't store them in the shower at all.

[Kimberly]

I stand my CV bar on end, so less of it melts.

[ExpectoPatronum]

@expectopatronum (great name, but I am a Harry Potter fan) My thought was that maybe the shampoo bars you are using are quite "young". The fresher the soap, the faster it will be used up. I had some soap and left it in my cupboard. After 3 weeks there has been already a difference and after 6 months the soap got even harder and lasts longer.

Have you tried the shampoo bars from sweet creek herbs yet? They are also more on the harder side and there are great package deals. So this might be a more affordable option for you. Here ist the link to the shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetcreekherbalsoap

I have not tried theirs. I've just begun my shampoo bar journey two weeks ago lol. They might be young...I noticed one was a little soft on the inside when I cut it. Considering I have four 'halves,' I'll be sure to make note of how letting them dry more affects how they last. Thanks for pointing that out! And thanks for the site. I'll bookmark that one as well.

Harry Potter fans UNITE!


That does strike me as more on the expensive side for a shampoo bar, expectopatronum, the CV bars are almost twice the volume, for the same price. I haven't had issues with them going quickly, but I only wash my hair like once a week and don't store them in the shower at all.

I don't store mine in the shower either...I'll admit everyone raving about CV is really making me want to try them next. I'm leaning towards the marshmallow one, though I might order a couple of her samples first. I hope to stretch my washes to once or twice a week eventually. I imagine I wouldn't have this problem at all then lol.


I stand my CV bar on end, so less of it melts.

Yeah...I did that at first but they still didn't dry out completely. Out of the shower worked better.

[Aderyn]

That does strike me as more on the expensive side for a shampoo bar, expectopatronum, the CV bars are almost twice the volume, for the same price. I haven't had issues with them going quickly, but I only wash my hair like once a week and don't store them in the shower at all.

When I use a CV shampoo bar, I also cut it up into halves or fourths to help minimize the amount that is lost during the shower and to make it more convenient than handling a huge bar of soap on my head! I also don't store them in the shower, wash my hair twice a week and half a bar lasts a month and a half at least.


My problem is that I'm going through them so quickly! I don't know if the bar is just prone to melting a lot, if I'm using too much, or what. I'll probably be through a whole bar in 2-3 weeks. I do not let it sit in the shower once I'm done shampooing my hair. I actually keep the bars in my room so not even the moisture from my roommate taking a shower will get to them.

Just wondering, how much do you use to wash your hair? I use maybe 10-15 strokes of the shampoo bar on my head during a wash and I feel like that's a lot as that gives quite a good lather. I remember when I first used a shampoo bar, I did maybe 30-40 strokes and then wondered why it felt kind of weird. :D

Some harder shampoo bars I've used have been from:
Sweet Creek: https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetcreekherbalsoap?ref=ss_profile
Green Kimono: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreenKimono
Prarieland Herbs: http://www.prairielandherbs.com/

[ExpectoPatronum]

Hm...I haven't really counted how many strokes I use. I'll be sure to do that during my next wash.

[sumidha]

Okay, I went back into my email because I just could not remember how long ago I got my package from CV. Turns out I've been using the same sample sized bar of coconut milk shampoo for two months! I'd say it's a little less than half as big as it was? I don't have another to compare it to right now.

Part of it, I think, like Myrrdin says, is how long you cure your soap for. The longer you let it sit the harder it gets, up to a certain point. The only other thing I can think of is, I don't run the bar over my hair when I'm washing, I rub a lather in my hands, then work my fingers under my hair to get to my scalp, maybe four or five times total. Then rinse that through the length like normal shampoo lather. The only time I put suds directly only the length is if I'm washing out a super heavy oiling. If I run the bar over my hair it just creates a thick scummy layer that doesn't penetrate to the scalp, and doesn't lather up as well. Of course, everyone's hair is different, so YMMV! :flower:

[Aderyn]

The only other thing I can think of is, I don't run the bar over my hair when I'm washing, I rub a lather in my hands, then work my fingers under my hair to get to my scalp, maybe four or five times total. Then rinse that through the length like normal shampoo lather. The only time I put suds directly only the length is if I'm washing out a super heavy oiling. If I run the bar over my hair it just creates a thick scummy layer that doesn't penetrate to the scalp, and doesn't lather up as well. Of course, everyone's hair is different, so YMMV! :flower:

I've heard of using this method before and have considered trying it out to see if there is any discernible difference in how my hair looks and feels. I think that would also help preserve the shampoo bar for longer. Currently, my hair has been just fine with just strokes of the shampoo bar directly on my head (yay for laziness). Then again, I also have never done an ACV rinse and lots of people using bars do, so maybe my hair is just not the norm in regards to how it reacts to shampoo bars. :p

[ExpectoPatronum]

I've thought of lathering using my hands instead of strokes, but I didn't think it would deposit enough product? Looks like I have some experimenting to do ^^ The scientist in me is excited.

[sarahbrownie]

I really like Lush's Squeaky Clean and New bars. Those are my go to bars. I actually dislike conditioner, I love the feeling of my hair being squeaky clean!!! lol

If I like those two bars, what would you guys recommend for me outside of lush? I ended up just getting some of those things because there is a shop just right down the street from my college, but it gets very dangerous (expensive) going in there!!! I come out with everything but poo bars!